Brit personal trainer who moved to Dubai to work detained

Antonia Bettridge from St Helens was convicted in 2023 for possessing criminal property after police found GBP8,000 in her car on the M62

19:36, 23 Feb 2026Updated 19:38, 23 Feb 2026

Antonia Bettridge(Image: Instagram)

A fitness instructor who was previously apprehended by authorities with substantial sums of cash on a British motorway has now been detained in Dubai.

Antonia Bettridge, from St Helens, was found guilty in 2023 of possessing criminal property following the discovery of GBP8,000 concealed within her glove compartment. The then 21-year-old was stopped on the M62 near Warrington due to substandard driving.

However, officers became suspicious when questioning her about what she was carrying, to which she stated she had "no money" as she was returning from shopping.

Shortly afterwards, they uncovered more than GBP8,000 in illicit funds stashed within the car. It emerged that the fitness instructor and massage therapist had actually been on a return trip following a journey to a service station over 150 miles distant - where she claimed to have been "doing a favour" for an acquaintance.

Bettridge was discovered to have travelled to Gordano Services on the M5 close to Bristol, roughly a three-hour journey and approximately 170 miles from her residence on Greenfield Road in Dentons Green, before swiftly heading back northwards, reports the Liverpool Echo.[2]

In September 2023, she avoided custody after pleading guilty to possessing criminal property.

Bettridge received a 12-month community order with a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 30 days and 75 hours of unpaid work, and was ordered to pay GBP1,200 in court costs.

Antonia Bettridge(Image: Liverpool Echo)

She subsequently relocated to Dubai, where her social media profiles indicate she continues to work as a personal trainer in the Middle East, according to the Liverpool Echo.

She also lists herself as an events organiser in the United Arab Emirates.

Bettridge has since been taken into custody whilst residing in Dubai, with the Foreign Office confirming that officials are providing assistance to a British woman who has been detained in the emirate.

A spokesperson further confirmed that they are liaising with local authorities in the wake of the detention.

An FCDO spokesperson stated: "We are supporting a British woman detained in the UAE and are in contact with the local authorities."

References

1. ^ Laura Hill (www.chroniclelive.co.uk)
2. ^ the Liverpool Echo. (Antonia%20Bettridg)