A JUDGE has ruled that a court hearing to publicly examine George Reynolds over his business affairs should switch dates and venues.

The Darlington Football Club chairman was due to appear at the town's county court on September 22 after one of his former businesses went into liquidation.

He was to be accompanied by Richard Tennick, a fellow director of George Reynolds UK (GRUK), which was based in Shildon, County Durham.

But the district judge has now ordered that the case be switched to Teesside Combined Court's county court section on Tuesday, November 25.

He felt that the half-day hearing, which had been scheduled for Darlington, was not sufficient for the case.

A spokeswoman for the Official Receiver said last night: "This was not the request of the Official Receiver or the Insolvency Service.

"It was the district judge who thought the half-day allocated would not be sufficient, given the interest in the case.

"Obviously, it is a public hearing and questions can be asked so he felt more time was needed and that a full day's hearing would be appropriate."

Mr Reynolds says he was not the owner of GRUK when it went into liquidation in May this year.