Police hunting one of UK's most wanted fugitives appeal to find wife of £850k fraudster

British police hunting an alleged fraudster believed to be on the run in Europe have released details of his family in an attempt to find him.

Mark Acklom, 44, was named among the 10 most wanted UK fugitives living in Spain, last October.

He allegedly posed as a wealthy Swiss banker and MI6 agent to con divorcee Carolyn Woods out of £850,000. He disappeared in 2012.

Avon and Somerset police have now released a photograph of his wife.

Officers said Maria Yolanda Ros Rodriguez, 47, was likely to be with her husband and may be assisting him, although she was not the subject of a European Arrest Warrant.

Police want to hear from British expats with children in a private international school abroad who may have noticed the recent arrival of a family from Spain, with daughters age six and eight.

They said Ms Rodriguez may be using the aliases Yolanda Ross, Maria Long or Mary Moss, and may be teaching or attending yoga classes.

Det Insp Adam Bunting said: “We believe he’ll be with his wife Maria Rodriguez and their two young daughters, who we know up until last year’s appeal were enrolled in El Limonar International School in the Murcia area of Spain. In the days following the appeal he removed his children from the school and, together with his wife, he disappeared.”

Det Insp Bunting added: “We also have information linking him to Dublin and Italy, but he could be anywhere in Europe. It’s possible he may have travelled outside the EU.”

Ms Woods, who runs a boutique in Gloucestershire, said Mr Acklom promised to marry her during a year-long romance, during which he duped her into lending him her life savings.

Mr Acklom, who uses the name Marc Ros Rodriguez and other aliases, is the subject of a European arrest warrant and is on the Crimestoppers and National Crime Agency’s Most Wanted lists.