EXCLUSIVE by James Bryce
A WEDDING association is being set up in a bid to clamp down on a spate of fake vicars emerging in Spain.
The initiative will see potential members undergo a rigorous vetting process to ensure they are capable and qualified to undertake services here.
It comes after the Olive Press revealed last issue that a number of people had lost money to a fake reverend Alan McLean (above), who vanished without completing his contractual obligations.
Others have since come forward to condemn McLean, including one couple who rented a property to him in Competa.
They insist he failed to pay his rent and falsely claimed expenses for replacing a damaged bed, before disappearing overnight leaving the house ‘stinking and dirty’.
Founder of the Association for Wedding Professionals within Europe Jennifer McCloy said the scheme was a bid to self-govern the industry, which is not currently regulated.
She said it was vital to regulate a growing trend that sees thousands of foreigners married in Spain each year.
“There has been a lot of money lost over the years.This is the first step towards restoring confidence,” McCloy told the Olive Press.
“Everybody has a right to a professional service, and given that it is one of the biggest single expenses people make, it is important to know the process is legitimate.”
Click here to read more Spain News from The Olive Press.
MacLean is a compulsive liar. He has not only pretended to be a Catholic priest, in itself a crime of morality, but he cheated several people including me, a bona fide minister out of money, lying and manipulating in the most appalling way. H