NEARLY £30,000 of cash has been seized from a businessman who is thought to have been murdered.

Paul Duckenfield was last seen in a restaurant near Braintree, after flying into Stansted Airport from Portugal, in September 2008.

In June 2007, Derbyshire Police found nearly £50,000 in cash at his house in Allestree, Derby.

They seized the money under the Proceeds of Crime Act, suspecting it had come from criminal activity.

The force successfully applied to the court to keep £20,000 of this cash, which Mr Duckenfield could not account for.

He claimed the remaining £29,409 had come from selling his assets, so it was returned and a cheque given to his solicitor for safe keeping.

But he was reported missing after not being seen since flying into Essex from his home in Portugal on September 15, 2008.

Derbyshire Police believe he was due to travel to collect the cheque from his solicitor, but he never kept the appointment.

Essex Police launched an ongoing murder inquiry and as a result of new information discovered during the investigation, officers from Derbyshire returned to the courts to seize the £29,409.

Southern Derbyshire Magistrates Court agreed the seizure and the money will be split between the Treasury, police, Court Services and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Det Con Laurie Benniston-Clarke, financial investigator at Derbyshire Police, said: “It is unusual because of the fact there is an ongoing murder investigation and we have no knowledge of where Mr Duckenfield is.

“It is also the first time the force has gone back to court to seize assets we had previously given back.”

Officers had discovered information to suggest he had transferred money to a friend’s bank account, which was later sent back to Mr Duckenfield.

They suspected it was a way of transferring money to hide assets and transfer criminal property.

Mr Duckenfield was last seen at Palm Trees restaurant, in Blake End, near Braintree.

A man remains on bail on suspicion of murder.