Former Brookside actor on UK’s Most Wanted list arrested in Spain over £13.6m fraud

If you live on Spain’s Costa Blanca, you probably know that the area is home to a huge British community. What you may not expect is that someone on the UK’s Most Wanted list could be living among them. That is exactly what happened after Spanish police arrested former Brookside actor Philip Barry Foster in Alicante. 

The 51-year-old was one of 12 British fugitives named in a major campaign to find criminals believed to be hiding in Spain. Foster was arrested by the Guardia Civil on September 17 and is now facing extradition proceedings that could see him returned to Britain to serve an eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence.

From TV actor to wanted fugitive

Foster, who has also used the name Philip Dowd, appeared as Christian Wright in Channel 4 soap Brookside during the 1990s. He reportedly appeared in more than 60 episodes. Years later, he became involved in a very different type of operation. He was convicted of conspiracy to defraud after being involved in a network of fake modelling agencies which targeted aspiring models and their parents.

The victims were promised opportunities in the modelling industry but were instead charged money for services including photographs, with the operation allegedly exploiting people hoping to begin careers in modelling. More than 6,000 people were affected during the eight-year operation, the fraud was valued at £13.6 million, making it one of the major cases pursued by UK authorities.

Eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence

Foster was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court in February 2025, receiving eight and a half years in prison. However, he was not in court to hear the sentence. Foster had failed to appear and was subsequently wanted by British authorities, leading to an international search for him.

Eight other people were also sentenced for their involvement in the fraud and associated money laundering offences. The National Crime Agency subsequently included Foster in its latest campaign targeting British fugitives believed to be in Spain.

Guardia Civil tracks him down

The search eventually brought investigators to Alicante where Foster was arrested by the Guardia Civil. Spanish reports have linked him to the Costa Blanca, with reports identifying an address in the Punta Prima area near Torrevieja. The arrest followed cooperation between Spanish and British authorities as investigators worked to locate him.

The National Crime Agency confirmed the arrest and said extradition proceedings are now under way. That means Foster’s arrest in Spain is not the end of the case. The Spanish legal process must now deal with his extradition before he can be returned to Britain.

One of 12 fugitives

Foster was one of 12 people named when the National Crime Agency launched its latest Most Wanted campaign in May. The campaign was specifically aimed at locating British fugitives believed to be hiding in Spain and appealed to the public for information about their whereabouts. His arrest is the fourth from that particular list. The NCA says the wider Operation Captura campaign has now resulted in 102 arrests since it began.

The operation involves British and Spanish law enforcement agencies, with Crimestoppers also involved in gathering information from members of the public. For British residents across Spain, the campaign has particular relevance because fugitives can spend years living abroad before being located. In Foster’s case, that time has now run out, he remains subject to extradition proceedings in Spain and, if returned to the UK, will face the prison sentence handed down by Sheffield Crown Court for his role in the £13.6 million fraud.