A judge has issued an arrest warrant for Paul Flowers, the former Co-op Bank chairman after he failed to attend court to enter a plea on a charge of committing a £68,000 fraud by abusing his position. The 73-year-old, also a former Methodist minister and Labour councillor, faced Manchester Magistrates’ Court for the first time last month after previous hearings were disrupted due to his reported stroke.

Prosecutor Brian Treadwell informed the court that Mr Flowers’ solicitor had lost contact with him. Judge Timothy Smith, in response to the non-appearance and lack of contact, issued a bench warrant not backed for bail. During his last court appearance, Flowers, aided by a wheeled Zimmer frame, did not indicate a plea and was granted unconditional bail until the recent hearing.

The charge against Mr. Flowers alleges that between June 28, 2016, and October 28, 2017, in Salford, he committed fraud by abusing his position as an enduring power of attorney. The charge specifies that he dishonestly abused this position with the intent to make a gain for himself, involving the acquisition of a staircase, carpets, and 11 cheques paid to him, contrary to Sections 1 and 4 of the Fraud Act 2006.

The case has drawn attention given Flowers’ notable roles in the Methodist Church, local politics, and the Co-op Bank.