Four Douglas-based firms are new additions to a European Union blacklist against Robert Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe.

Three are in the Falcon Cliff building on Palace Road and the other in Cumbrae House in Market Street.

They are all owned by John Bredenkamp (pictured), one of Britain's richest men, who is believed to be worth around ?700 million.

The Dutch-born businessman, last year labelled an arms dealer by American authorities, is thought to be living in Berkshire after having his Zimbabwean passport revoked.

The four companies, all part of the Breco Group, have had their assets frozen and Mr Bredenkamp has been banned from travelling within the EU.

Edward Oldham reports (text, below, from attached audio file):

The European additions to the EU's Zimbabwe blacklist are similar to the firms put on a United States Treasury one in November last year.

This included 20 companies "owned or controlled by John Bredenkamp", the report describing him as "a well-known Mugabe insider involved in various business activities, including tobacco trading, grey-market arms trading and trafficking ... and diamond extraction.

"Through a web of companies, Bredenkamp has financially propped up the regime and provided other support to a number of its high-ranking officials."

Mr Brendenkamp has always denied allegations of illegally supplying military goods to Zimbabwe and recently responded to claims of his closeness to Harare by saying he had not met Mugabe for 23 years.