George Reynolds has made his first appearance at crown court charged with money laundering offences.

The former chairman of Darlington Football Club was in the dock with his cousin, Richard Tennick, and his personal assistant, Ian Robinson, for the brief hearing.

The three men spoke only to confirm their names during the five-minute case at Teesside Crown Court today.

They will return to the same court on February 21 next year when they are expected to enter pleas to the charges they face.

Mr Reynolds, 68, of Monument Court, Durham City, is charged with two counts of conspiring to launder money between May 23 and June 18 in Darlington.

He also faces a money laundering charge under the Proceeds of Crime Act, alleged to have occurred between June 9 and July 13 in Darlington.

Mr Reynolds is also accused of evading a liability on June 10 and attempting to evade a liability between June 9 and July 13.

Mr Tennick, 58, of Bowling Green, Manfield, North Yorkshire, and Mr Robinson, 43, of Fulton Court, Shildon, County Durham, are accused of two counts of conspiracy to launder money between May 23 and June 18.

All three men were granted unconditional bail to return to the court in the new year.

Outside of the court in Middlesbrough, Mr Reynolds accused police of mounting a witch-hunt against him and claimed he would be cleared of any wrongdoing.

He was chairman of the Quakers for almost five years, saving the club from bankruptcy in 1999 and taking them to within one match of the old Second Division.

The club went into administration with crippling debts shortly before last Christmas, and Mr Reynolds stepped down as chairman in January.