FOUR men and a woman who are accused of defrauding a small Royal Wootton Bassett company and money laundering to the tune of thousands of pounds are to face trial by judge and jury early next year.

The defendants, who are all connected with a scaffolding outfit called House and Sons, indicated they would deny the charges when they appeared at Swindon Crown Court.

It is alleged three of them defrauded Marlborough Road-based Combined Scaffolding on a number of occasions between November 2016 and March last year.

Nichola House, 50, a director and Paul House, 52, a contracts manager, are accused of acquiring criminal property between March 7, 2016, and April 1, last year.

It is said they acquired £42,458.20 "arising in the course of commercial transactions undertaken by House and Sons, knowing or suspecting it to represent in whole or part and whether directly or indirectly, the proceeds of criminal conduct."

Christopher House, 28, is charged with two counts of fraud, starting on November 1 in 2016, and then between March 6 and March 9, last year.

One of the allegations is that he made a false representation to get a payment from Combined Scaffolding of £160, which he knew was or might be untrue or misleading, the payment being received from Combined Scaffolding for work undertaken on behalf of House and Sons.

Joshua House, 26, and the fifth defendant, David Cook, 29, are each charged with two similar counts of fraud on February 7 and between March 6 and March 9, 2017.

No charges have formally been put to any of accused in court and they have yet to make their pleas.

But lawyers for each defendant indicated that they would be contesting the matters when it came to the trial, which is due to take place in the New Year. They first appeared before magistrates in September.

On Friday Judge Robert Pawson adjourned the case to a pre-trial case management hearing on Wednesday November 28.

In the meantime Nichola, Paul and Joshua House, all of Grange Drive, Stratton St Margaret, Christopher House of Cherry Tree Road, Cricklade and Cook, of Beech Avenue, Pinehurst,were all released by the court on unconditional bail.

Combined Scaffolding Ltd is based at Lanes Farm.