Salt Path author's employer 'lost trust in human beings'

Raynor Winn, facing claims parts of bestselling memoir were fabricated, 'truly sorry' for 'any mistakes' made in her old job

- ANNABEL NUGENT

The wife of Raynor Winn's former employer has said their experience with the author caused him to "lose his trust in human beings".

The bestselling author of The Salt Path has found herself at the centre of controversy in the past week, after an investigation published in The Observer alleged that parts of her memoir had been fabricated.

Winn's 2018 book tells how she and her husband Moth walked the South West Coast Path, a gruelling journey of 630 miles, after a string of private tragedies including the loss of their home in Wales and Moth being diagnosed with a neurological condition.

The Salt Path was a publishing hit, selling 2 million copies and gaining Winn legions of fans. A film adaptation, starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs as Winn and Moth, respectively, was released in May.

The Observer's investigation raised serious doubts over the accuracy of her memoir, claiming that it misrepresented how the couple lost their home, which, according to Winn, was due to a bad business investment.

The Observer, however, reported that the couple lost the property after Winn allegedly defrauded her employer of £64,000 in 2008, which she apparently attempted to repay after taking out a loan from a relative.