Eco-Island Founder Found Dead In Cowes

8 October 2013, 14:25 | Updated: 8 October 2013, 16:12

The director of a community interest company has been found dead on the Isle of Wight after he was arrested on suspicion of fraud following allegations of missing cash.

David Green was questioned by Hampshire and Isle of Wight police last week who were investigating allegations of fraud in connection with Ecoisland - an enterprise which aimed to make the Isle of Wight a net exporter of energy by 2020.

The Isle of Wight Council became concerned about the organisation after it reviewed a government grant to Ecoisland and found that £115,000 of the £240,000 funding was unaccounted for.

Ecoisland was awarded the money in January following a successful bid by the Isle of Wight Council for Department of Energy and Climate Change funding to help householders on the island reduce their energy bills and to aid businesses to become more environmentally friendly.

Mr Green was arrested and released on bail until a date in December.

But police were called to his home in Gurnard, Cowes, yesterday afternoon following a report that his body had been found.

A police spokesman said that the death was not being treated as suspicious but the Independent Police Complaints Commission had been informed because of Mr Green's arrest.

The spokesman said:

"We were called on the afternoon of Monday, October 7, 2013, to a report of a man's body at an address in Woodvale Road, Gurnard, Cowes, Isle of Wight.

"The death is not being treated as suspicious by police.

"The body was formally identified as David Green, aged 52, of Woodvale Road, Gurnard, Cowes, Isle of Wight.

"All immediate next-of-kin have been informed.

"A post-mortem examination will take place in due course.

"HM Coroner has been informed.

"Hampshire Constabulary's Professional Standards Department (PSD) has referred the death to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) following David Green's arrest and police contact last Thursday (October 3, 2013).''

CICs were established by the Government in 2005 to enable social enterprises to be established with their profits being used for the public good and the benefit of the community.