MULTI-millionaire football club chairman George Rey-nolds will launch an extraordinary legal battle against Cleveland Police next week.

The former safe-cracker will assume the role of barrister in the High Court in Middlesbrough to claim that he was wrongfully arrested nine years ago.

The Darlington Football Club boss has shunned legal representation and will conduct his own case which is due to start on Monday.

Cleveland Police will contest a series of allegations made by Mr Reynolds.

The proceedings follow Mr Reynold's arrest and overnight detention in 1992 on three charges of threatening to cause criminal damage.

The former safe blower, who went on to make a vast fortune with a business making kitchen worktops, vowed to take action against the officers who, he claims, had no grounds for arresting him.

During the eight years since he was detained, on the morning of August 10, Mr Reynolds has painstakingly put together his case against the Chief Constable of Cleveland Police.

"I have left no stone unturned and have gathered together a huge amount of documentation to show that I was wrongfully arrested, detained and charged," said Mr Reynolds yesterday.

He plans to produce statements from 14 officers, among them an assistant chief constable, a chief superintendent, superintendent and several detectives and police sergeants in support of his case.

At a preliminary hearing yesterday, Mr Reynolds presented a bulky document which fundamentally claims that, without reasonable grounds, he was wrongfully arrested and unlawfully detained. He will claim police officers:

l Detained him without first inquiring as to the nature and extent of the complaint, and without reasonable grounds;

l Detained him without first conducting a proper inquiry;

l Failed to take into account release requests from his solicitor;

l Authorised his arrest and detention before formal statements were obtained from the complainants;

l Failed to carry out proper investigations into the accuracy of the allegations;

l Failed to carry out any proper evaluation of the nature of the complaints and the strength of evidence

Last night, Mr Reynolds said he remained determined to "see justice done". He explained the reasons for conducting his own case.

"I consulted several leading barristers who wanted £60,000 to represent me - these are some of the people who say footballers earn too much - and I was certainly not going to hand over that sort of money when I can do just as good a job myself."

A Cleveland Police spokesman said last night: "This is a contested matter in a trial due to be heard on Monday, and it would be inappropriate to comment in advance of the case.