Regan hearing adjourned until July

A court hearing of the Co-operative Wholesale Society's private prosecution against Andrew Regan, which was due to take place today, has been adjourned to give lawyers more time to get their papers together. The hearing was adjourned by mutual agreement until 3 July. It will heard in the City of London Magistrates Court as planned previously.

Lawyers representing Mr Regan, whose pounds 1.2bn break-up bid for the Co- op failed in April, said nothing should be read into the adjournment. "It was thought it would be more convenient for all concerned," said Ian Burton of Burton Copeland. "It is a perfectly normal procedure."

An earlier hearing of the case was also adjourned to give Mr Regan's legal team more time to prepare their case.

The case against Mr Regan and his business partner David Lyons, is for allegedly "aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring" the theft and for handling stolen property."

Both Mr Regan and Mr Lyons have said they will defend the charges "vigorously."

At the initial hearing last month, Allan Green, the Co-op's former head of retailing, was the only one of the three defendants to attend the court. All three had been due to attend today.