THE former chief executive of the Cotswold Water Park Society has been committed to crown court accused of defrauding the charity out of more than £700,000.

Dennis Grant, 63, of Old Glebe, Upper Tadmarton, Banbury, appeared at Stroud Magistrates Court on Monday charged with six counts of fraud and one of obtaining a money transfer by deception.

He was accused of pocketing £707,291.25 meant for the benefit of CWPS.

The case was committed for hearing at Gloucester Crown Court on June 17. Grant has not yet entered a plea.

The alleged offences happened between November 2006 and July 2009.

He is accused of making false representations to companies or their representatives and having money paid into his own accounts which should have gone to CWPS.

Grant, represented in court by Garth Waite, was initially arrested in May last year alongside former CWPS finance director Nick Hanson but Mr Hanson later died following a suspected heart attack.

He spoke only to confirm his name and address during the five-minute hearing.

Prosecutor Malcolm Hayes said: "There are seven allegations of fraud facing Mr Grant, all relating to issues surrounding monies that principally come from a charitable organisations."

He said there was a considerable amount of money involved and the case involved a breach of trust over a long period of time.

District judge Joti Boparai bailed Grant on the condition that he did not leave the United Kingdom and that he checked in at Banbury police station every Tuesday.