Council moves closer to Dame Shirley's millions

Around £30million of the fortune owed by disgraced ex-council leader Dame Shirley Porter is believed to have been traced, it emerged today.

Westminster Council has obtained court orders freezing "many millions of pounds" thought to belong to the former Tesco heiress.

However, it can expect a long court battle to get its hands on the money, which could cover most of the £37million owed by Dame Shirley, 72, who now lives in Israel.

Despite Westminster's belief that the offshore trusts are a sham designed to hide her fortune, she denies they are anything to do with her.

She was fined for wilful misconduct in a "homes for votes" scandal in the late 1980s, after presiding over sales of council homes on the cheap to Tory voters to keep Labour from power. But she claims she is now worth only £300,000

The council has obtained disclosure orders against 14 companies and individuals from courts in England, Guernsey and the British Virgin Islands.