A LONGRIDGE man has appeared in court in connection with an alleged £22million loan fraud.

Mark Terrence Pattinson, 36, of Sharley Fold, Longridge, appeared at Southwark Crown Court alongside two co-accused.

They are solicitor Kevin James Steele, 50, of Forge Drive, Claygate, Esher, Surrey, and former property developer Michael Andrew Shephard, 49, of Wellington Road, Lancaster.

In a prosecution brought by the Serious Fraud Office all three are charged with conspiring to commit fraud.

They are accused of false repres-entation between July 1 and August 22, 2008 by falsely representing £76,422,124.43 was held at Bank Julius Baer, Guernsey as security on a 22 million Euro loan from EFG Private Bank Ltd.

They are also charged with conspiring together between July 1 and August 22, 2008 to use a false instrument, namely letters purporting to be from private Swiss bank Julius Baer, which he knew or believed to be false, with intent they be accepted as genuine, contrary to the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act.

Steele is also charged with fraud by abuse of position while a partner of Mishcon de Reya Solicitors between October 10, 2007 and September 4, 2008 by stealing £1.8m from Shephard’s client account to settle an unrelated civil claim.

No pleas were entered by any defendant on any count and all three were bailed conditionally to return on November 4 for a plea and case management hearing.