At least £64bn of property in England and Wales is hidden behind opaque trusts

Campaigners say secretive ownership structures are becoming the go-to vehicle for kleptocrats'

The owners of nearly a quarter of a million properties in England and Wales worth a combined 64bn are hidden behind opaque trusts, according to research that prompts concern that such structures are the go-to vehicle for kleptocrats" stashing money in Britain.

The government introduced a register of property held through offshore vehicles in August 2022, revealing a string of unknown owners, including high-profile figures such as Lewis Hamilton and James Dyson, as well as sanctioned Russians, Gulf royals and the Chinese state.