The UK is still a great place to invest, but not if you use this route.
A couple of months ago I advised people on this board to buy in Gorton in east Manchester, red brick 2-beds going at 70k or less and renting easily at 400 stg per month. I felt that as new buld in the same area was fetching 120 and 140k, the second hand stuff would be dragged up. This week the same houses are fetching 90k, and still rising.
So, I disagree that London is the only place to go, you can do ok in parts of the UK if you are canny and use your head. Stay away from anyone offering this kind of guarantee though.
Can anyone remember the name of the company in Newcastle that had a similar caper going about three or four years ago, ended up being busted by the fraud squad and loads of people lost money? Basically they were selling crap houses in sink estates, at multiples of true worth, and using the funds to pay a "guaranteed rent" for same. The more they sold, the bigger the houise of cards, and eventually they ran with the money. They were called something with three letters, ABC, or DEF or something like that -- its killing me to try to remember!