Offshore Bond Gross Roll-Up

[Captain Spod]

In an argument with a colleague (we're both qualified advisers). He maintains that the gross roll-up in an offshore bond makes it ideal even for UK resident investors; I reckon they're not all they're cracked up to be due to the effect of taxation on unrelieved profits, withholding tax (Eire) and higher expenses. Are there any reputable reports that back me up? Thanks.