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THE “Godfather” of Towie and dad of TV favourite Mark Wright is pals with the head of a violent crime organisation, we can reveal.

Businessman Mark Wright Snr has been muckers for 25 years with feared Essex crime lord David Hunt.

Hunt was exposed in the High Court last year as a ruthless underworld boss involved in “fraud, money laundering and extreme violence”.

Mark Jnr shot to fame in Brentwood-based telly hit Towie, with several scenes filmed at Hunt’s swish country club.

Hunt’s older brother Stephen, 55, was also partners with Wright Snr in the 1990s at a Romford car dealership, although there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing.

The ITV website describes likeable Wright Snr as “a man’s man” and the “Towie Godfather”, adding jokily: “Mess with him and you’d face a world of pain.”

However, nobody was laughing when the sinister nature of his mate Hunt’s business emerged last year at London’s High Court.

Hunt, 52 — who claims to be a legitimate businessman — had sued the Sunday Times for libel over an article it published in 2010.

But the case was eventually thrown out by Mr Justice Simon, who ruled Hunt was the head of a criminal network involved in “fraud, money-laundering and
extreme violence”.

Hunt — known as “The Long Fella” in the criminal underworld — was also “effectively” the “landlord of prostitutes” although the judge did not expressly find he was “involved in prostitution”.

After decades of hiding his widespread criminal activity, Hunt was finally exposed as a ruthless and powerful gangland boss.

The revelations must have come as a major shock to Wright Snr, who is believed to have first met Hunt through a shared love of West Ham football club.

There is no suggestion Wright Snr was involved in or had any idea of the nature of Hunt’s criminal network before the libel case finding last year.

And last night he defended his friend’s business activities, claiming there was “no evidence” of anything illegal.

He said: “I have known Stephen Hunt for 30 years and David Hunt for 25 years.

“I probably speak to Stephen once or twice a month on the phone as friends would do.

“Yes, we had a car business together in the 1990s. We had a decent car firm.”

Wright Snr — married to wife Carol, 53 — claimed he hasn’t seen David for 15 years, but added: “He was an associate of mine all those years ago.

“He’s a businessman, but a very reserved man, laid-back.

“David has never been spoken to by the police or convicted of any offence and there is no evidence of any criminal activity.

“He’s never done a custodial sentence.

“There is no evidence against these people.”

He went on: “A High Court judge mentioned them but there still isn’t evidence because he’s not been convicted of anything.”

Wright Jnr is engaged to Corrie actress Michelle Keegan and now stars in his own ITV2 show, Party Wright Around The World.

He will also have been stunned that his dad’s old pal was outed in the High  Court as a crime boss.

He was photographed with his father and Stephen Hunt outside Oliver’s bar in
Hornchurch, Essex, in August 2012.

However, the connection between the Wrights and the Hunts will also raise some eyebrows at ITV.

The Sun on Sunday can reveal that Towie producers have regularly used Hunt’s Woolston Manor Golf & Country Club as a backdrop for several scenes.

Hunt bought the Chigwell venue — founded by England footie legend Bobby Moore and 007 star Sean Connery in the 70s — from convicted fraudster Peter Pomfret in 1996 when it was called the Epping Forest Country Club.

During last year’s libel case he described it as a fantastic cash business.

Towie regular Gemma Collins threw a 31st birthday party there in February 2012 while Joey Essex and Sam Faiers held their engagement party at the venue last April.

Wright Jnr, 27, and his Towie star best mate Arg also regularly play golf there.

There is no suggestion the club itself is involved in any illegality.

Hunt also has several other pubs and clubs in the London and Essex areas.

He lives in an eight-bedroom mansion set in 20 acres of Essex countryside which he bought for £600,000 in 1993 — when he was a 32-year-old scaffolder.

The three-storey house has indoor and outdoor pools, a tennis court, gym and a lake — all protected by wrought-iron gates.

He remains under investigation by the National Crime Agency and HM Revenue and Customs.

r.parry@the-sun.co.uk

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