A DISGRACED solicitor is being investigated by police as it was revealed that 100 clients have claimed he mishandled their money.

Philip Pressler, who formerly worked for Hindle Son and Cooper, Church Street, Darwen, was struck off by the Law Society last month after misusing clients' bank accounts.

The hearing was told Pressler had acted "deliberately, inappropriately and dishonestly" and tribunal chairman Adrian Gaynor-Smith said he had been "deceitful and devious."

Today the Law Society revealed that it was dealing with 100 people who claimed a total of £303,207 had been mishandled by Pressler.

Police have now been alerted to the complaints and specialist officers are looking into the matter, even though they have refused to comment publicly.

A spokesman for the Law Society said: "We can't say whether more applications will come in but clients can submit their applications up to six months after they found out about the wrong-doing and so people still have time.

"The number is made up of mostly individuals, rather than businesses, around the Darwen area, who claim that they have had their money mishandled. One hundred claims is not an abnormal number. Sometimes we have millions, so 100 is a middling figure."

Each claim is assessed on its own merits through a lengthy investigative process which could take years. But people could be reimbursed by the Law Society if their claim is strong enough.

The spokesman added: "We have no idea at this point how many of the claims are going to be successful because we are in the very early stages of the process."

At the tribunal hearing, the Law Society accused Pressler, of Higher Whittlestone Head Farm, at Whittlestone Head, near Darwen, of transferring £87,255 from clients' accounts to his own account on four occasions between February 1998 and May 2001.

The hearing was told he then moved money from five other accounts, including that of a client, to pay back the will of another client who had left £29,000 to the Cancer Research Campaign.

The tribunal heard that Pressler accepted five charges related to the transfers but did not accept he had acted dishonestly.

A police spokesman said: "I can neither confirm or deny we are investigating this matter."

Mr Pressler could not be contacted to comment.

The Law Society is urging anyone who has a complaint about Pressler to contact the Law Society on 0845 6086565 or visit the website on www.lawsoc.org.uk.

Have you got a complaint about Philip Pressler? Contact reporter Helen Priest on 01254 772591.