A former director of a Suffolk property management firm has appeared in court charged with defrauding customers of nearly £70,000.

Roy Jackson ran Suffolk Lettings in St Peter’s Street in Ipswich.

The letting and management company closed down around December 2012.

A police inquiry began in January last year after complaints to Suffolk Constabulary by landlords.

By April this year around 30 landlords, some with more than one property, reported they had not received money owing to them for renting out their premises.

At the time police said the investigation encompassed 48 properties.

Jackson, a well known businessman and Rotarian in Ipswich, was arrested at Stansted Airport at the weekend.

After being taken to a police investigation centre and questioned by Suffolk officers the 39-year-old was charged with two alleged offences.

One accusation relates to fraud by false representation. The amount of money involved is said to amount to around £68,000. This is alleged to be from landlords, clients and tenants.

The second charge relates to fraud by abuse of position.

The timeframe for the charges is said to be between November 1, 2011 and January 30, 2013.

Jackson, formerly of Suffolk but now of Lanchester Road, London, was remanded in custody until his first appearance before South East Suffolk Magistrates Court in Ipswich on Monday.

Due to the seriousness of the allegations and the amount of money involved magistrates committed Jackson’s case to Ipswich Crown Court.

His next hearing on the allegations is scheduled to take place at the crown court on October 9.

Jackson has been remanded in custody until then.