A MAN who promised an £8m boost for the village of Otterburn has been exposed as a fraudster with multiple identities.

William Davenport publicly declared he and his family planned to plough millions of pounds into transforming the Grade II listed former Otterburn Hall Hotel into a state-of-the-art equestrian centre.

But on Wednesday he was jailed for six years at Teesside Crown Court after admitting a series of mortgage frauds in respect of Barclays Bank.

The plans for Otterburn, announced in 2013, included Davenport purchasing the former Percy Arms Hotel and the creation of dozens of local jobs.

But the plug was pulled on the investment due to a long running saga over an application to register six public rights of way through the grounds; the Davenports insisting the paths would compromise the high level of security required for the venture.

Now it has been revealed that three-times bankrupt Davenport (60), fraudulently secured hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of finance to buy historic Windlestone Hall in County Durham – the former family home of 1950s Prime Minister Sir Anthony Eden.

The court also heard evidence that he had used a variety of false identities and applied for official documents including passports and driving licences in those names over the past 15 years.

He and his American wife Ann, who has now returned to the US, posed as wealthy investors in order to purchase other stately homes in the UK and the US.

Davenport, who is currently in a wheelchair, was sentenced via video link by the Recorder of Middlesbrough, Judge Simon Bourne-Arton.

The judge said he did not accept a submission on Davenport’s behalf that he was living in relative poverty at Windlestone Hall.

However, he did take into account the defendant’s health, age, lack of previous convictions and character references that were handed into the court on his behalf.

Sgt Rob Pollard, from Durham Constabulary’s financial investigations team, welcomed the sentence.

“Davenport spun a web of lies in an elaborate fraud befitting a film plot,” Sgt Pollard said.

“He concocted a labyrinthine of deceit in order to fraudulently obtain cash to buy historic property.

“This real-life Walter Mitty clearly thought he was above the law.

“However, following a complex investigation spanning more than two years, Davenport’s lies unravelled.”