A school ski trip organiser who disappeared with £36,000 could be brought back from France and put before a court in Oxford within a month.

Thames Valley Police have applied to extradite Tim Green after a lengthy investigation that began when he vanished after a trip to France for 120 Oxfordshire pupils was cancelled in February 1997.

The youngsters - from Cheney School, Headington, and Fitzharrys School, Abingdon - paid £300 each for the trip to the resort in Annecy, in the French Alps, but were left out of pocket when Green disappeared.

Last month officers from the force's Fraud Squad flew out to interview Green, who was found by Interpol living just 12km from the resort.

Det Con Gerry Walters said he was confident they had enough evidence against Green to bring him back to Britain to face charges.

He said a request for Green to return voluntarily had been unsuccessful and police had now applied to get him extradited. If proceedings go smoothly, Green could be back in Oxford in four weeks' time. Det Con Walters said: "We interviewed Mr Green with the assistance of French police and conducted inquiries in France, particularly at the resort.

"We have returned to England and offered him the opportunity to return to the UK voluntarily. We have received two faxes from him but he has not indicated that he intends to return. Therefore, as far as we are concerned, we are looking to try to bring him back." The 1997 trip was booked through Green's private company, but with less than 24 hours before the pupils were due to depart, he wrote to parents telling them the trip was cancelled due to his "continued failing health".

He promised to reimburse them and even take the youngsters on a free weekend trip, probably to Paris, but has so far not returned any cash.

Magistrates in Oxford have already granted police an arrest warrant to seek his extradition. A copy has been sent to the French authorities and the warrant can now be executed on Thames Valley Police's behalf. Green has the right to protest about being extradited.

Det Con Walters said: "If Mr Green does not contest the extradition, the process could take a matter of two or three weeks. It depends on as and when the French authorities execute the warrant on our behalf and detain him.

"We are satisfied there is sufficient evidence to bring a prosecution but it depends on if the Crown Prosecution Service is satisfied that they can bring the case to court."

Andrew Lewis, who represents parents of pupils from both schools, said: "We just hope it can be brought to a swift conclusion. This has been going on for some time now."

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