[clevfan]

Gambler 'Lost £1m Of Firm's Cash Playing Internet Poker'

Mar 21 2008 By Charlie Gall
The Daily Record UK

AN OFFICE worker has been accused of blowing £1million of his company's cash playing internet poker.

Chris Proudfoot, 25, has fled his parents' home and is in hiding.

A pal said last night: "The word is that he was playing high-stakes poker online and got himself in too deep.

"It's a shock to think that Chris has been gambling away his employers' money.

"We never had him down as a gambling addict. He doesn't go to the bookies in town and we've never known him to bet on anything."

Proudfoot worked for several years as a finance and credit controller for Inverness telecom firm HIGHnet.

He allegedly ran up the colossal debt gambling online with William Hill.

HIGHnet bosses asked Proudfoot to clear his desk five weeks ago and called in the fraud squad.

Detectives are expected to spend months poring over the company's books and following the alleged trail of bets.

It's understood more than £1million could be missing but the exact figure won't be known until the police have finished their investigation.

Proudfoot lived with mum Valerie and dad William in Scorguie, Inverness.

But he left home a couple of weeks ago and is lying low.

Valerie denied that her son had "done a runner" and said he was available if police wanted to speak to him.

A spokeswoman for HIGHnet, based at Longman Industrial Estate in Inverness, confirmed: "We made a complaint to the police against Mr Proudfoot.

"We are co-operating with the police and Mr Proudfoot no longer works for the company.

"We cannot comment further as this is an ongoing investigation. There isn't a final figure."

HIGHnet, established in 1994, provide business telecom services to companies around Scotland and claim to be one of the leaders in their field. They employ more than 25 staff.

A Northern Constabulary spokesman said: "Investigations are at an early stage."

William Hill refused to comment.

The betting firm hit the headlines this month when they were taken to court by a gambling addict who claimed they let him run up debts of £2million even though he had begged them not to let him bet.

Graham Calvert, a greyhound trainer from County Durham, said William Hill owed him a duty of care.

His case was thrown out by a High Court judge who ruled that he would have bankrupted himself whatever the company did.