Financial watchdog takes property 'loan notes' firm Hunter Jones to High Court over alleged unauthorised activity

From the Newshound archive · first published 21 September 2026.

The Financial Conduct Authority has taken High Court action against Osborne Baldwin Limited, the company behind the Hunter Jones and Hunter Jones Group brands, alleging it sold loan notes and carried out regulated activity without FCA authorisation. The regulator is seeking a court order to wind up Hunter Jones's operations and force repayment to investors. Founder Reece Mennie, a self-styled entrepreneur with over 76,000 Instagram followers, told City AM he had received no warning of court action despite being in negotiations with the FCA. The firm says it has channelled more than £300 million into property investments across the UK and Dubai.

Loan notes frequently advertise large gains at little risk, but several schemes backed by the instruments have collapsed in recent months.

Hunter Jones previously operated under regulatory cover from Equity for Growth (Securities), which was censured last month for approving "unfair, unclear and misleading" financial promotions and went into liquidation in March.

The FCA is asking investors who put money into Hunter Jones and have concerns about it to contact the regulator directly at AvillConsumers@fca.org.uk.