Nigel Farage and Richard Tice have filed High Court claims against the National Crime Agency, alleging the NCA leaked sensitive bank records and details of conversations with bank managers. The dispute stems from Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) that flagged payments linked to George Cottrell and donations to Tice's companies, one of which later gave funds to Reform UK. The NCA's Professional Standards Unit is investigating, while Reform says the pair will seek an apology and damages.
Farage and Tice Sue NCA Over Alleged Leaks of Private Financial Records
[PA Media]
Richard Tice says he and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage have launched legal action against the National Crime Agency (NCA), alleging that the agency unlawfully leaked confidential financial information about them to the media. The pair say they will seek an apology and damages in claims filed at the High Court.
Tice, the MP for Boston and Skegness and Reform's deputy leader, told TalkTV he believed the NCA had committed "multiple criminal offences" and accused the agency of disclosing "individual bank statements, bank transfers, [and] details of conversations with bank managers from different banks."
How the Dispute Began
Last month Tice wrote to the NCA asking whether it would investigate whether it had been the source of private financial material that later appeared in news reports. The move followed coverage that various payments connected to Tice's businesses had been flagged to the NCA under its Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) system — a mechanism that alerts authorities to potential money laundering. SARs are notifications of suspicious transactions, not crime reports.
According to press reports, Tice's firm Tisun Investment received an £80,000 loan from George Cottrell in late 2024. In the same year, Britain Means Business — a company linked to Tice — reportedly received a £1m donation from Cottrell's mother; Electoral Commission records show Britain Means Business then donated £500,000 to Reform UK in the same month. These transactions were among those flagged to the NCA under the SARs programme.
Broader Scrutiny
Coverage of George Cottrell's connections to Reform has intensified after reports that he provided support to Nigel Farage — including security and social media staff — in the year before Farage returned to Parliament. Parliamentary rules require newly elected MPs to declare gifts or benefits received in the 12 months before election that relate to their "parliamentary or political activities," though there is an exemption for items deemed "purely personal." Reform has argued the assistance was personal and therefore did not need to be declared.
"Following complaints brought by Richard Tice MP and Nigel Farage, the NCA's Professional Standards Unit is conducting an investigation. That work is ongoing. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time," an NCA spokesperson said.
A Reform UK spokesperson confirmed that formal claims had been filed in the High Court. BBC News has not seen the full particulars of those claims. Tice has said he only became aware of the disclosures when contacted by The Guardian, which first reported aspects of the story; other details have been reported by The Telegraph and The Sunday Times.
The NCA says its Professional Standards Unit is investigating the complaints internally. Tice and Farage say that internal inquiries have been slow and that they have decided to pursue the matter through the courts.
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