TWO former youth football officials have appeared in court charged with committing fraud while they were running one of the biggest grassroots leagues in the country.

Karen Prictor and Margaret Rivers attended the brief hearing along with their husbands, who are accused of possessing criminal property, at Swindon Magistrates’ Court.

Prictor, 46, is charged with fraud by abuse of position between November 2009 and July 2013 while she was treasurer of the North Wilts and District Youth and Minor League.

She faces two further counts of forgery, relating to bank statements and an end of year financial report which were presented as genuine to the league and the FA.

Prictor, of Toothill, West Swindon, is also accused of possessing criminal property in the form of an unknown quantity of cash between November 2009 and July 2013.

Prictor’s husband Kevin, 57, faces the same charge of possessing criminal property, contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Rivers, 54, is accused of fraud by abuse of position between November 2009 and July 2013 while she was secretary of the league. She is alleged to have used her post to make a cash gain for herself.

The former official, from Shaw, West Swindon, is also accused of possessing criminal property between November 2009 and July 2013. Her husband Andrew, 57, is accused of the same charge.

All four appeared in the glass dock yesterday)where they spoke only to confirm their names, ages and addresses as the case was sent to the crown court.

Solicitors for the four defendants did not make any representations on their behalf.

John Fryer, chairman of the magistrates’ bench, said: “This court has declined jurisdiction and is going to pass it to the crown court for them to deal with.”

The four defendants were granted unconditional bail to appear at Swindon Crown Court on July 25.