https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp3zd40kdgyo

Elderly and vulnerable people in south-east England have told the BBC how they lost control of their money and property after dealing with a law firm based in Essex.

They described how they were persuaded - and sometimes felt under pressure - to grant lasting power of attorney (LPA) to a man called Ron Hiller, a partner in the firm.

LPA is a legal agreement in which someone appoints an "attorney" to make decisions on their behalf, either for finance or health and welfare.

Attorneys are supposed to act in their clients' best interests. But we investigated 30 cases involving Mr Hiller and his firm, Craybeck Law, and found a disturbing pattern of events:

People found they had no access to their bank accounts and no idea how much Mr Hiller was charging for being their attorney

Large amounts of cash were withdrawn without a reasonable explanation

Properties were sold for what owners and others considered was lower than market value, and possessions were cleared and disposed of without owners' knowledge or informed consent

There has been a massive rise in LPAs in England and Wales in recent years. In 2023, more than one million people registered - a rise of 37% on the year before.