IRISH investors in a failed ostrich farming venture, based in Britain and Belgium, have been asked by the Nottinghamshire Constabulary to provide copies of all documents and correspondence they may have had with the Ostrich Farming Corporation which was put into liquidation this summer. The British police force, which is conducting an inquiry into whether any criminal offences have occurred included a questionnaire in a letter to investors about dealings with this firm.

Irish investors were dismayed last May to learn from this and other newspapers that the company which had sold them ostrich eggs, hatchlings and mature birds for upwards of £15,000, had been placed in receivership and then liquidation just months after the start of its Irish marketing campaign.

One Irish investor, Ms P, wrote to Family Money asking for more details about the initial receivership. At the time she said that she had been contacted by an ostrich owners protection group that had been set up in England to allegedly look after the interests of the investors. She paid them £20.

Ms P, who has not paid anything other than the initial £20 and ignored further appeals for funds did receive some information about the case, but has received another letter recently from the owners protection group asking for additional sums to cover court appearances by legal representatives. "What is interesting," she says, "is that Cooper and Lybrand, the official liquidator is sending the same information (as the owners group) but in greater detail and at no cost to me."

Ms P and other investors Family Money has been in touch with are still hopeful of recovering some of their funds and say they are cooperating with both the liquidator and the local police.