AN 84-year-old antiques dealer and his wife have been charged in connection with the sale of a fake £1 million Egyptian statue.

George Greenhalgh and 82-year-old Olive Greenhalgh were quizzed by detectives from the Metropolitan Police Arts and Antiques Unit this week.

Their sons, George jnr, aged 52 and Shaun, have also been charged in connection with the sale of fake antiques.

All four family members, who live in a modest end-terrace house in The Crescent, Bromley Cross, will appear at Bolton Magistrates' Court next week.

Bolton Council made headlines around the world when it bought the Amarna Princess for £440,000 in 2003, claiming its actual worth was nearer £1 million.

The 20-inch statue was thought to date back to 1350 BC and depict one of the daughters of the Pharaoh Akhenaten and his Queen Nefertiti, who was the mother of the legendary boy king, Tutankhamun.

Observers claimed it was more impressive than the only other statue of its kind in the Louvre in Paris.

At the time, British Museum and council staff had been involved in authenticity checks. It went on display in Bolton in January, 2004, after first being featured in an exhibition at the prestigious Hayward Gallery in London, which was opened by the Queen.

The person who sold the statue to Bolton Council always remained anonymous. It was said at the time the item came into his family when it was bought by a relative at a sale of items belonging to the Earl of Egremont in 1892.

Concerns over the authenticity of the Amarna Princess were first raised in March last year when the British Museum reported the arrival of a suspicious Syrian sculpture.

When the Amarna Princess was subsequently closely examined, it was found to be fake.

George Greenhalgh, Olive Greenhalgh and Shaun Greenhalgh are each charged with conspiracy to defraud including alleged offences of selling faked and forged works as genuine between 1989 and 2006, and money laundering the faked arts and antiques and the proceeds from the sale of these antiques.

George snr and Shaun face an additional charge of laundering the proceeds of the sale of the Amarna Princess.

George Greenhalgh jnr, aged 53, is charged with money laundering the faked arts and antiques and the proceeds from the sale of these antiques.

The four are due to appear at Bolton Magistrates' Court on Thursday.