​HEARTLESS charmer Mark Hatton wormed his way into women’s lives and then bled them dry.

The suave silver-tongued trickster masqueraded as a millionaire, passing himself off as a member of the famous Rothschild banking family, to make himself more plausible to his vulnerable victims.

He thought he’d cast his spell over divorcee Christine Handy after targeting her in a Cheltenham coffee shop – but the worm turned.

Hatton told Mrs Handy he was the illegitimate son of Edmund de Rothschild and was an Eton-educated international economist. But the father of self-styled Baron Alexander-Marc de Rothschild is Portuguese and lives with his wife, a former dressmaker, in an ex-council house in Bowling Green Road, Cirencester.

With his handsome looks and worldly image, the bogus bachelor had an air of credibility.

Mum-of-three Christine, who was divorcing her husband of 11 years, recalled: “He looked European – almost Italian, dressed in linen shorts and boots.

“He wore an expensive watch and looked as if he should be on the Amalfi coast. He was kind and gentle and had a spirituality about him.”

Christine was out in her lunch hour at the Soho Coffee shop, in Cambray Place, in June 2003.

Friendly Hatton asked to join her, saying he had been ‘observing her for some time’.

Christine had split up with husband Clive Handy and was living in rented accommodation in Cheltenham with her children. Hatton soon offered her financial advice with her divorce settlement – but a week later he was back on the charm offensive.

They swapped telephone numbers and met for a drink.Hatton spent no time in painting up a laudable picture of himself. Hatton said he’d just returned from working as an industrialist in Helsinki, Finland, but could not divulge any details because he was governed by the Official Secrets Act.

The couple began a relationship and the calculating stranger became trusted and adored by Christine.

Hatton convinced Christine he was conducting an educational enterprise, he was offered a job by an exclusive bank and he would be able to invest her money.

And, over three years, she handed over more than £300,000 to her lover assured it was an investment in their future.

Unbeknownst to her, the carefree 46-year-old lavished the money on himself, living a playboy existence eating in swish London restaurants, buying sports cars, jewellery and suits. He bought a convertible BMW for £66,000 and top label outfits from Burberry and Ralph Lauren but by November 2006 he had gone.

Neighbours of Hatton’s parents were used to seeing their son coming and going. One said he had an ‘arrogant manner’.

The couple, known locally as Fred and Nancy, live in an small, unassuming house darkened by overgrown trees.

One neighbour said: “My husband saw him (Hatton) and he was shouting and swearing that ‘she’d’ taken all his money.

“Maybe he was trying to cover for himself. They’ve let all their bushes grow up and they never speak to anyone.”

The woman’s son, who visits, said: “He’s around so often in his big car, at least a couple of times a week.

“It would be nice to know what he does for a living, he seems to have a lot of spare time. No-one seems to know a lot about him, he keeps himself to himself.”

Another resident said: “He used to come up in his flash BMW but not recently. I heard a tale. He’d parked his car up the road and it was towed away – obviously he hadn’t paid his tax or something.”

“But I hardly ever see his mother. I’ve lived here for five years and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen her.”

Another neighbour said: “I suppose I’m cynical but do you think if you were going out with someone called de Rothschild he’d bring you to that house?”