Following the arrest of the owner of playing fields in Teddington, a local community group is asking how the owner "passed all his due diligence around money laundering and identity checks when purchasing the fields in the first place".

The Udney Park Community Fields Foundation is asking how Mr Wu, who purchased Udney Park playing fields for £35 million in 2022 and was arrested in Japan last month for being tied to Cambodian criminal conglomerate the Prince Group, was able to purchase the fields in the first place.

However, this week, Rob Pollock of Savills, the estate agents who sold the fields on behalf of Quantum/ AHH, told the Foundation: ''Savills undertook the due diligence and compliance checks required at the time. The vendor's solicitors also carried out their own checks.

"At the time of the transaction, neither the purchasing entity nor the identified beneficial owner was designated pursuant to the UK financial sanctions regime or otherwise identified as a concern by the relevant UK authorities. ''

Nick Pargeter of BDB Pitman( the solicitors who represented Mr Wu) added: ''A firm of solicitors is obliged to do due diligence on the identity of its clients.

But I'm not going to comment on any specific matter or client.''

Since Mr Wu's arrest, The Udney Park Community Fields Foundation, which previously tried to purchase the fields from Mr Wu, has written to Richmond Council asking it to move forward with a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) of the land.

The Foundation said: "Further meetings are scheduled with LBRUT councillors and officers to find a collaborative solution.

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"Separately, the Foundation has met with Munira Wilson MP, who is seeking to apply political pressure to break the impasse."

Earlier this year, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCRP) found that Mr Wu, whose real name is Hu Xiaoweir, holds significant assets, including Udney Park Playing Fields, under the name Wu An Ming.

This led the OCRP to find Xaioweir connections with the Princes Group which is tied to money laundering, slavery, and human trafficking.