If you wish to contact any members of the NEFF Management Board please email: northeast.fraudforum@btinternet.com

Alan Brown

Chairman of the North East Fraud Forum Management Board.  Alan was a member of Northumbria Police for 33 years,retiring in 2000 as the Deputy Chief Constable. He was awarded the Queens Police Medal in 1996 and has a vast range of experience in Policing matters and has lectured in a wide variety of forums including North and South America,where he undertook projects on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. He developed a particular interest in intelligence sharing and working in Partnerships,introducing some pioneering systems into the North East whilst working as the Home Office Regional Director between 2000 and 2005,where he had responsibility for Crime Reduction and Drugs Strategy and Neighbourhood Renewal .

Phil Butler

Phil Butler has 25 years service including 20 years in the Criminal Investigation Department in Northumbria Police, he is the Vice Chair of the North East Fraud Forum Management Board.  On 1 January 2003 he was appointed Head of Financial Investigations of the newly formed Northumbria Police Economic Crime Unit.  In May 2004 he led a delegation to the United Nations UNCITRAL Colloquium on combating fraud and financial crime in which the North East Fraud Forum delivered a presentation on global replication of the North East Fraud Forum model.

Frank Nesbitt M.A., MEWI

Frank Nesbitt has just completed 30 years as a Police Officer with Northumbria Police. From 1993 - 2006 he was working as a Fraud Investigator within the  Economic Crime Unit and dealt with a vast variety of Fraud cases ranging from Probate Fraud to Public Sector Corruption.  In 2005 Frank achieved an MA in Fraud Case Management at the University of Teesside and became a member of the Expert Witness Institute on 14th September 2006. Frank now works for Tait Walker Chartered Accountants as  the Forensic Services Manager and Fraud Consultant.

David Arthur

David is the Senior and Managing Partner of the firm. Having qualified in 1976, he joined Tait Walker in 1977, became a partner in 1979 and the rest, they say, is history. At some time in his career, he has worked in all of the specialist service areas of the firm. He takes special pride in developing a great team of people within the firm so that the clients know they receive exceptional business service.

Mark Heath LLB Partner

Mark undertakes a range of commercial litigation and commercial fraud work. As head of the commercial fraud team his fraud work encompasses civil prosecution of cases for private industry and he also has a substantial portfolio acting for NHS bodies in addressing healthcare fraud on behalf of NHS Hospital Trusts, Strategic Health Authorities, Primary Care Trusts and Local Health Boards on a national basis.

Alan Doig

Alan Doig is Professor of Public Services Management at Teesside Business School where he is also Head of the Fraud Management Studies Unit and sits on the North East Fraud Forum Management Board.

Alan Batey

Alan Batey is a Detective Sergeant with a wide experience of roles within Northumbria Police having been a Police Officer for over 23 years.  His present role and that of the last 5 years is within the High Tech Crime Unit of Northumbria Police.  This unit is responsible for dealing with all types of crime where the perpetrator has used a computer, the internet or some other form of digital media to commit or facilitate the crime.  Other roles include secretary to the Regional ACPO High Tech Crime Working Group which reports to the National ACPO Group, and member of the board for the safety in schools pilot project.

Colin Gibson (MSc.)

Colin Gibson is a Security Manager employed by the leading business to business express delivery company TNT where he works from depots in Houghton-le-Spring and Durham Tees Valley Airport. His operating area in the north east of England ranges from Scarborough in the south to north Northumberland. His primary roles include the prevention of loss of company assets from fraud and other associated criminality and negligence.

After completing 30 years service Colin retired from Durham Constabulary in August 2007. During his time with the Constabulary he worked with the force Drug Squad and Major Crime Team investigating homicides and other serious offences. His final post was as Branch Head of the force’s Economic Crime Unit with responsibility for investigating major and complex fraud, cheque and plastic card fraud, computer crime and asset recovery. He also chaired the police North East Working Group on Fraud and sat on the ACPO National Working Group on Fraud.

Bill Matthews

DI Bill Matthews, Head of Cleveland Police Fraud Investigation Team for 4 years. 26 years service having joined Cleveland in 1978. Primarily a CID background but has served in both uniform and CID at each rank. At present has responsibility for Fraud, Cheque & Credit Card, Computer Crime and Financial Investigation.

Peter Smith

Peter Smith is the Managing Director of Quantis, Chartered Accountants, a niche firm specialising in Forensic Accounting and Fraud Investigations.  He is also a Board Director of the Northumbria Coalition against Crime and a member of the Fraud Advisory Panel.

David Prior

David Prior is a partner in the forensic accounting department of Grant Thornton.  Based in Leeds he heads the forensic team in the North and has experience of a wide variety of fraud and money laundering investigations.  He has been instructed by the SFO, the DTI and various
other prosecuting authorities as well as other public and private sector bodies.  He is also an experienced expert witness having given evidence in a wide range of Courts and Tribunals.

Alastair Irons

Alastair is a Fellow of the British Computer Society, a Chartered IT Professional, a Fellow of the Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA), a member of the Council of Heads and Professors in Computing (CPHC) and is a member of the HE Academy. He is a non-executive director of Northumbria Learning, is a member of the BCS Academic Accreditation and Enhancement Committee and is currently chair of the Learning Development Group of the CPHC.