A former Worthing FC manager who was set to be charged in relation to a £5 million horse betting scam when he went on the run has been named as one of the UK’s most-wanted fugitives.

Police and crime agencies in Sussex, the UK and in Cyprus today jointly appealed for information about Jeffrey Bloor who they believe is hiding on the Mediterranean island.

The most wanted list is the latest phase of a hunt to flush the suspects out of their hiding places.

The 39-year-old, who was born in Brighton but lived in Lancing at the time of his disappearance, vanished in July 2012 when he was due to be charged alongside John ‘Jock’ McCracken, 45, of Whitehawk Road, Brighton, Matthew Thole, 39, of Michaelston-y-Fedw, Cardiff, and John Brice, 39, of Sandringham Drive, Hove.

The trio were convicted for their parts in the scam at Lewes Crown Court in 2013 and are set to have illegally gained profits of their crimes confiscated at a hearing at Lewes Crown Court later this month.

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It has been revealed officials think blue-eyed and ginger-haired Bloor is hiding out in Cyprus – an island popular with expats.

Yesterday Bloor’s brother and Lewes FC assistant manager Danny Bloor said he did not know his whereabouts, but declined to comment further.

A Sussex Police statement said: “We first issued an appeal for the whereabouts of Jeffrey Bloor in July 2012 after he failed to answer his bail to be charged with conspiracy to defraud and money laundering.

“We still seek Bloor and have liaised with the National Crime Agency (NCA) as there has been information that he may be in Cyprus.”

Steve Bennett, the NCA’s head of European operations, said: “We are determined to ensure life on the run is intolerable for fugitives and they are brought back to face justice.

“The most important thing is the power of this campaign to harness the eyes and ears of the public, both in Cyprus and the UK.

“If you have information on the whereabouts of our targets, no matter how small or trivial it seems, call Crimestoppers anonymously and let us know.”

Last year The Argus reported how victims of the fraud lost their life-savings.

The trio tricked people out of their savings after claiming they were part of a successful horse betting syndicate where customers paid fees in advance to join, lured by the promise of excellent returns.

This guarantee was backed up by glossy brochures, sent to homes in Sussex boasting glowing testimonials – all of which were false.

The victims who invested money, including several pensioners, received nothing in return.

Police said the scam was “too good to be true”.

Pass on information anonymously via the UK Crimestoppers number 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.