Three mortgage brokers, the wife of a broker, seven property buyers and a conveyancing clerk have been accused of artificially inflating house prices and subsequently applying for mortgages worth more than the value of the properties, reported the Bournemouth Echo.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard that the group used forged documents in order to obtain money from lenders.

In Court, prosecutor David Bartlett said the money gained from the fraud was kept by at least one of the defendants after each purchase had taken place.

The court heard that properties were later repossessed and the loss to lenders was around £100,000 per property.

Amanda Powis, former conveyancing clerk at Harold G Walker solicitors, faces 17 charges for alleged offences between 2003 and 2006.

Mortgage broker Alex Chiswell, who worked at Premier Finance Consultants in Charminster, faces 10 charges with his wife Lisa Harvey also accused of two offences.

Broker Colin Zaczyk faces five charges with fellow adviser Peter King being tried on one charge in his absence.

Property buyers Dermot O’Malley-Keyes, Madeleine O’Malley-Keyes, Lee Smith, Paul Morgan, Maxine Gribben, John Hudson and Robert Baird are also facing charges.

The trial is expected to last eight weeks.