Revealed: the properties in Ashfield owned by people based in Russia

They are among 1,127 properties across England and Wales registered to individuals with a correspondence address in the country.

The Centre for Public Data obtained the figures on overseas ownership from the Land Registry using Freedom of Information laws.

They show the City of Westminster has the most property owned by Russia-based individuals, at 87.

This is followed by Liverpool, with 72, and Tandridge in Surrey, with 57.

There are no recorded Russian-owned properties in Mansfield, Bolsover or Newark & Sherwood.

The number of properties across England and Wales owned by individuals in Russia has rocketed in recent years, increasing 13-fold between January 2010 and August 2021.

In Ashfield, it has steadily increased from none in January 2014, to one in January 2016, two in January 2018 and three in January 2020.

There is no suggestion that any of these people have links to the Putin regime.

However, the war in Ukraine has brought renewed focus on Russian-owned property and other assets in Britain.

Frozen assets

The UK government today announced it was freezing the assets of seven oligarchs, including Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich.

It has forced a halt to Abramovich’s attempts to sell the club. He had said proceeds from the sale would be donated to victims of the war.

A further group of Russia-based oligarchs close to Putin have also been placed under sanction.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said: “Today’s sanctions show once again that oligarchs and kleptocrats have no place in our economy or society.

“With their close links to Putin they are complicit in his aggression.

“The blood of the Ukrainian people is on their hands. They should hang their heads in shame.

“Our support for Ukraine will not waver. We will not stop in this mission to ramp up the pressure on the Putin regime and choke off funds to his brutal war machine.”

Sir Keir Starmer, Leader of the Opposition, had been among those pushing for further sanctions, saying: “For too long our country has been a safe-haven for the money that Putin and his fellow bandits stole from the Russian people.”

A message from Jon Ball, your Chad Editor: Enjoy our headlines with fewer distractions and sign up to a digital subscription today - fewer ads, faster load times and all of the stories you need. Your support for our journalism means we can continue supporting our communities for generations to come. Visit chad.co.uk/subscriptions