SFO secures £1.1m in first Unexplained Wealth Order case
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has secured £1.1m through its first successful use of an Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO), following the sale of a Lake District property in April 2025. The property belonged to Claire Schools, ex-wife of Timothy Schools who was convicted of investment fraud in 2022. The UWO was granted by the High Court in January 2025 after investigators traced criminal funds from Schools' multi-million-pound investment scheme fraud to the property purchase. The SFO's investigation into Timothy Schools' assets is ongoing, with the next hearing scheduled for 26 September 2025 at City of London magistrates' court.