THE riches to rags story of the apparently impoverished diamond heir Francois Graff took another extraordinary turn in the unlikely surroundings of a Mayfair car park.
According to onlookers, 40-year-old Graff, who has not paid a penny of the multimillion divorce settlement awarded to his actress wife, Zeta (pictured), was confronted by representatives of the High Court.
I am told that he took one look at the official papers they were trying to serve on him and sprinted from the car park in Old Burlington Street to the New Bond Street emporium of his father Laurence, 64, Britain's 204th richest man.
Soon after, police arrived, and Francois, who is heir to a Pounds 157million fortune was arrested and driven to Charing Cross police station where he was finally served with the High Court warrant.
He remained there for six hours until Mr Graff senior turned up with a lawyer and a Pounds 3 million surety.
This was to ensure Francois goes back to the High Court where a judge wishes to know precisely why he has not paid his wife's award.
So far, Graff junior has been pleading poverty, claiming he can't even afford child maintenance for his 11-year-old son, Laurence, let alone money for Greek-born Zeta.
He has claimed he is no longer a director of his father's world-wide empire, having resigned shortly before the judgment last month and and moved to Monaco where, he says, he does not earn enough to provide for his son.
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