FIONA BRUCE, the BBC news-reader and former Crimewatch presenter, has found that one of her ancestors was a convicted fraudster who abandoned a failing business to escape his debtors.
Bruce's great-great-grandfather, William Crouch, was sent to prison at the turn of the 20th century after attempts to establish himself as a society photographer backfired.
Bereft of customers and with debts mounting up, he resorted to taking money from a string of young apprentices, promising them work that would never materialise.
Bruce, 44, who also presents Antiques Roadshow, hears about her paternal ancestor's lifestyle in a forthcoming episode of Who Do You Think You Are?, the genealogy series.
"The whole thing was a scam," Bruce tells the show, which will be broadcast on BBC1 on February