WATCH: CCTV heightens Barclay brothers' feud

Tuesday 19 May 2020

Sir Frederick Barclay has released CCTV footage of his nephew allegedly handling a bugging device at the Ritz hotel, as the legal row with his twin brother continues.

The 85-year-old billionaire Brecqhou resident is suing Sir David Barclay's three sons for apparently secretly recording multiple private conversations in a conservatory at the Ritz.

The footage allegedly shows Alistair Barclay inserting a listening device into a plug socket on 13 January this year. It is claimed the device captured around 94 hours of conversation recordings

Sir Frederick claims those conversations were used by his nephews to sell the hotel - which was owned by the two twins - for half the market price.

Footage courtesy of The National.

The Ritz was bought by a Qatari investor earlier this year, after Sir Frederick announced that he would sue his brother if the hotel sold for less than £1bn. He claims the deal was made without his consent or agreement.

Now the twin is alleging misuse of private information, breach of confidence and breach of data protection laws.

Sir Frederick decided to release the CCTV footage to the public himself.

"The decision to release this video of this deliberate and premeditated invasion of my privacy is in the public interest," he said in a statement.

"I do not want anyone else to go through the awful experience of having their personal and private conversations listened to by scores of strangers.

"It is surely in everyone's interests for the law to be changed to prevent people outside the authorities using sophisticated spying devices that have such an intrusive impact."

The case continues.