A former Chelmsford solicitor who disappeared after £660,660 of clients' money went missing has been struck off the solicitors' roll.

And Brian Maisch, 53, who lived at Peregrine Drive, is presumed dead after getting mixed up in a diamond deal in Switzerland, a disciplinary hearing heard yesterday (Thursday).

It is believed he drained clients' cash out of his practice in Ilford for months before fleeing overseas.

When a Law Society accountant was sent to investigate the alleged discrepancies, Mr Maisch, who also had offices in Walthamstow, went into the office to "steal a final £245,000", sending the money to banks in Latvia and Switzerland.

The computer transactions which were granted by a UK bank left the client account £200,000 overdrawn.

The £100,000 which was sent to Latvia has been recovered but Andrew Hopper, for the Law Society told the hearing there had been "great difficulties clawing money back from a Swiss bank account."

Mr Hopper said there had been no trace of Mr Maisch, who had recently divorced and had not attempted to contact his family.

"The only rumour persisting is that he may not in fact have survived. This is in relation to subsequent transactions to do with the purchase of diamonds in Switzerland and which involved parties who may not have been too kind to him if he let them down," he added.

The "substantial loss to clients" had been made good by the Law Society's indemnity fund.

Striking Maisch's name from the roll, tribunal chairman Barrie Marsh said: "This is one of the worst cases I've come across."

He awarded costs of £7, 851 against Mr Maisch - should he ever be traced.

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