Qatar's sheikh in soup over dud 500,000 pounds cheque

An Arab royal is faced with a legal threat over a second unpaid bill of over 500,000 pounds ($790,400).

Estate agent Hesham Salem is threatening legal action after the Arab royal's cheque bounced. A top hotel has already said it is owed a similar sum by Talal Bin Abdulaziz Bin Ahmed Al Abdulla Al Thani, the Sun reported Tuesday.

Hesham, 54, had rented half-a-dozen London apartments to the sheikh - who later left, leaving a 506,000 pounds bill. Though he sent a cheque to cover it, it failed to clear.

The 43-year-old member of the royal family in Qatar spent around 18 months in London. He left days after a hired 150,000 pounds Lamborghini Gallardo was smashed up in January 2010.

Hesham, of the Euro Gulf property office in Paddington, West London, said: "He walked in and wanted flats around Mayfair and Park Lane for up to 1,000 pounds per week. He made it clear he was a member of the royal family, which he confirmed by handing over his passport with 'diplomat' stamped on it.

"Friends of his moved in and at first he paid up. We even bought Mercedes and BMWs for him, and allowed him to make alterations to some of the apartments. But the money stopped and he was nowhere to be seen."

The Qatar Embassy assured Hesham he would eventually pay. But the £500,000 Barclays cheque he received was returned by the bank.

Hesham has plans to launch a civil action in sheikh's homeland.