A FAMILY has appeared in court charged in connection with the £440,000 sale of a statue that was later revealed to be a fake.

George Greenhalgh, an 84-year-old retired local government worker, his wife Olive, 82, and their sons George Jnr, 53, and Shaun, 46, all of The Crescent in Bromley Cross, Bolton, appeared before magistrates in Bury.

The charges relate to the 52cm-high statue of the Amarna Princess, which was bought by Bolton council with grant money for Bolton Museum and Art Gallery four years ago.

It is understood that the council sought independent verification from an expert before it bought the statue, which was thought to be 3,000 years old and depict one of the daughters of the Pharaoh Akhenaten and his queen Nefertiti, who was Tutankhamun’s mother.

Doubts however were raised about its authenticity in March last year and it was removed from display alongside other items from the British Museum as detectives from the Metropolitan Police Arts and Antiques Unit launched an investigation.

The statue first appeared at a prestigious exhibition opened by the Queen.

George Greenhalgh Snr, Olive and George Jnr are accused of conspiring to defraud arts and antique dealers, museums, auction houses and academic institutes by passing off fake and forged works as genuine for 17 years, between 1989 and 2006.

They are also charged with handling fake works and the proceeds from them.

George Greenhalgh Snr, Shaun Greenhalgh and George Greenhalgh Jnr are also charged with conspiring to handle the proceeds of the sale of the Amarna Princess.

The four did not enter a plea and were released on bail to appear before Bolton Crown Court on July 24.