Fallon Charged With Fraud Plot

Kieren Fallon has been charged as part of an investigation into alleged horse racing corruption.

Fallon was one of 28 people answering bail at Bishopsgate police station in the City of London today in connection with the inquiry. The six-times champion jockey, who won the Irish Derby yesterday, was charged with conspiracy to defraud, according to police.

Former racing syndicate director Miles Rodgers was also charged with conspiracy to defraud and an offence under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The City of London Police investigation - codenamed Operation Crypton - has been hanging over the sport for more than two years. The inquiry has been looking at more than 80 races and more than 130 officers have worked on the case.

Police said that the men had been charged in relation to allegations of fixing the outcomes of races between December 1 2002 and September 2 2004. Fallon, 41, is accused of conspiring to defraud customers of the online betting exchange Betfair. Rodgers, 37, of Silkstone, South Yorkshire, was also charged with conspiring to defraud Betfair customers and an offence relating to money laundering allegations.

Six-time champion Fallon arrived at the police station at 9.15am, wearing jeans and a dark top, and had slipped inside the front entrance without speaking to waiting reporters. He left the police station just over 20 minutes later accompanied by another man dressed in a suit, thought to be his lawyer. Both of them got into a silver Mercedes before being driven away. Fallon made no comment as he was rushed out of the building. Rodgers arrived a few minutes later.

At least 19 addresses have been raided in connection with the investigation. The police swoops followed alleged irregular betting on the internet exchange Betfair, which passed records from its tracking of betting patterns to the Jockey Club. It, in turn, called in the City of London Police, who have the country's largest financial fraud investigation team.