Tamara Ecclestone enjoys family beach day

Tamara Ecclestone enjoyed a family beach day with her husband Jay Rutland and their daughter Serena, two, at Club 55 in St Tropez on Tuesday – amid her father’s legal woes. 

The heiress, 38, seemed happy and relaxed during her luxury holiday where she looked summer chic in a pretty beach dress. 

It comes after on Monday her former Formula One boss father Bernie, 91, denied fraud over an alleged failure to declare to the Government more than £400million in a trust in Singapore. 

Bernie was charged after a probe by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which would have allowed the business magnate to draw a line under any previous tax irregularities, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.

He is accused of failing to declare a trust in Singapore with a bank account ‘containing around $650million US dollars’.

For her beach day Tamara looked great in the busty pink, yellow, and green flower patterned sun dress which revealed a glimpse of her cleavage and showed off her toned legs.

The brunette beauty accessorised perfectly with designer shades while wearing her dark tresses in a pony tail and opting for minimal makeup to top up her tan.

Serena looked adorable in a green summer dress as her mother doted on her and carried her across the sand, before the family relaxed together by their beds in the shade.

Jay showed off his shirtless physique in a pair of khaki swimming shorts while later donning a sunhat and aviator shades. 

Tamara’s father Bernie is accused of failing to declare a trust in Singapore with a bank account ‘containing around $650million US dollars’.

According to the charge, the business magnate allegedly claimed that he had ‘established only a single trust, that being one in favour of your daughters’.

He is also alleged to have said ‘other than the trust established for your daughters you were not the settlor nor beneficiary of any trust in or outside the UK’.

Ecclestone, who has three grown-up daughters – Deborah, 67, Tamara and Petra, 33 – and a young son, Ace, two – allegedly made the representations ‘intending to make a gain, namely not stated, for yourself’.

The billionaire was met by photographers and camera operators, who had been warned by police not to mob him because of his age, as he entered court on Monday morning.

His white Range Rover, with a personalised number plate, passed three times before the business magnate left the vehicle dressed in a dark three-piece suit, white shirt and dark tie.

Ecclestone was escorted through the building’s exit by court security along with his legal team.

Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring allowed him to stand outside the dock after his barrister, Clare Montgomery QC, said her client was ‘having a little bit of trouble hearing’.

Ecclestone stood to confirm his name and address in Knightsbridge, central London, before indicating a not guilty plea to a charge of fraud by false representation between 13 July 2013 and 5 October 2016.

Prosecutor Robert Simpson told the court: ‘This charge arises out of a Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigation into Mr Ecclestone’s finances.

‘This would have allowed him to enter into a structural disclosure facility which would’ve drawn a line under any previous tax irregularities.

‘During the course of that investigation he was asked about any trusts placed abroad that he was involved with.

‘The Crown has based this charge on the basis he failed to declare a trust in Singapore with a bank account containing approximately 650 million US dollars.’

Ecclestone was granted unconditional bail ahead of his next appearance at Southwark Crown Court on September 19 during the hearing, which lasted around five minutes.

The judge told him: ‘Given the value of the alleged fraud, if convicted, this court would not have sufficient sentencing powers.’

The charge against the billionaire was authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) last month following an investigation by HMRC, which said the probe had been ‘complex and worldwide’.

Chief Crown Prosecutor Andrew Penhale said at the time: ‘The CPS has reviewed a file of evidence from HMRC and has authorised a charge against Bernard Ecclestone of fraud by false representation in respect of his failure to declare to HMRC the existence of assets held overseas believed to be worth in excess of £400 million.’

Mr Ecclestone splits his time between his coffee farm on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil, a mansion in Gstaad, Switzerland, and his villa in Ibiza, where he was last seen earlier in the summer during a disastrous media round where he praised Vladimir Putin.

He later apologised for describing Putin as a ‘first class person’ and that he would ‘take a bullet for him’. He missed the Austrian grand prix last month.

Simon York, Director, Fraud Investigation Service (FIS), HMRC, said in a statement shared in July: ‘We can confirm that a fraud by false representation charge has been authorised against Bernard Ecclestone.

‘This follows a complex and worldwide criminal investigation by HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service.

‘The criminal charge relates to projected tax liabilities arising from more than £400m of offshore assets which were concealed from HMRC.

‘HMRC is on the side of honest taxpayers and we will take tough action wherever we suspect tax fraud. Our message is clear – no one is beyond our reach.

‘We remind people to refrain from commentary or sharing of information that could prejudice proceedings in any way. This is now a matter for the courts and we will not be commenting further.’