With its sweeping tree-lined drive and panoramic views of rolling countryside, this five-bedroom palatial manor with plenty of land is fit for a Premier League footballer. But until recently, it was the home of a convicted fraudster. Now, the property in Aldridge - worth £1.8 million - has been seized and will now be sold off with the proceeds ploughed into the ongoing fight against crime in the Midlands. It is the latest example of criminal gains being snatched from their grasps by police seeking to show crime does not pay. Using civil asset recovery powers, expert financial investigators have focused on those criminals who think they are untouchable. It is now allowing them to seize the valuables bought with the proceeds of crime and end the life of luxury criminals have amassed by preying on unsuspecting victims. The house, off Chester Road, was owned by David 'Nipper' Harris. He was jailed for six years in 1994 for conspiracy to defraud. Harris was the ringleader of a gang behind a complex £35 million mortgage fraud. The law effectively allows the police to 'sue' the owners for their property in the High Court. Criminals are said to fear the proceeds of crime legislation more than jail time as it hits them hard in the pocket and strips them of their wealth. | 
