Birmingham owner Carson Yeung refused permission to travel to UK

Yeung is facing charges of money laundering in the self-administered region (GETTY IMAGES)

Birmingham owner Carson Yeung has been refused permission to travel to the United Kingdom by a magistrate in Hong Kong, according to local reports.

Yeung, who is facing charges of money laundering in the self-administered region, was forced to surrender his travel documents as part of the conditions of the bail that was granted at the end of June, but had hoped to be allowed to visit the UK with the end of the transfer window approaching.

However, his application was denied with the case transferred to the District Court, where a pre-trial hearing will take place on August 30.

Birmingham were relegated from the Barclays Premier League last season, just three months after winning the Carling Cup, and saw boss Alex McLeish join city rivals Aston Villa over the summer.

They face Coventry at St Andrew's on Saturday in their first home game of the new npower Championship season, having lost 2-1 at Derby on the opening weekend.