A SOLICITOR whose Sheppey business collapsed acrimoniously, leading to tens of thousands of pounds of clients’ money being mislaid, has been suspended for three months.

Ian Morris, 47, admitted breaching solicitors’ rules while he was the sole practitioner at Morris and Co, formerly of Broadway, Sheerness, when he appeared before the Solicitors’ Disciplinary Tribunal on Tuesday.

The tribunal ordered that Mr Morris, of Cedar Lodge, Hadlow Road, Tonbridge, should never practise on his own in future.

The firm’s breakdown led to a flood of complaints from angry clients. When Law Society officials examined the books, they found tens of thousands of pounds of client account money could not be traced, although it was all subsequently found.

Mr Morris admitted breaching solicitors' rules between 1999 and 2002 when he was the sole practitioner at Morris and Co.

Some allegations concerned a second firm, Linforths Solicitors, of The Hop Farm, Country Park, Beltring, Tonbridge, where Mr Morris was the sole practitioner at the same time.

Geoffrey Williams QC, on behalf of Mr Morris, said: “There was no dishonesty or wilful impropriety." Mr Williams said Mr Morris had been a solicitor for 20 years, 17 of which had been "unblemished."

His troubles started when his former partner, named only as "Mr JR" and a clerk, "Mrs H", decided to break up the partnership.

"It was an acrimonious affair. It is a case of mess and muddle, with Mr Morris failing to supervise his staff,” Mr Williams added.

For the Law Society, Stuart Turner said investigators found that the accounts were in disorder. One set of them was 18 months late in being submitted to the Law Society and Mr Morris had failed to have any indemnity insurance between January 2002 and December that year.

Mr Turner added: "I am not alleging dishonesty, but there was misappropriation of funds. The firm was in a state of meltdown, and when clients complained, Mr Morris failed to reply.”