David Entwistle, aged 49, appeared in court yesterday along with four members of a traveller family and a self-employed surveyor who were contracted to work for Northamptonshire County Council.

He is accused of involvement in money laundering with the Doherty family and forgery allegations arising from a £478,850 county council contract to renovate two traveller sites in Northamptonshire.

Entwistle, of Clarence Avenue, Kingsthorpe, who is currently suspended from work, is charged with misconduct in public office relating to his role as head of countryside and tourism for the local authority.

There were plans to redevelop two gypsy sites in Wellingborough in 2003 and 2004 when the contract was awarded to site caretaker Francis Doherty senior.

Funds for the contract were provided by taxpayers through the county council as well as a grant from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

It is also alleged Entwistle forged invoices, a letter and a series of cheque requisition forms claiming the building work had been carried out satisfactorily.

Philip Horne, aged 56, of Water Lane, Wootton, was contracted to the county council as the project's surveyor.

He is accused of forging seven payments for building work which was not carried out. As well as charges arising from the £478,850 council contract, four members of the Doherty family are accused of £2,250,000 money laundering and attempting to cheat the public revenue.

Francis Doherty senior, aged 53, and his wife, Rhona, aged 49, of Newton Road, Rushden, sat beside their two sons, Francis junior, aged 31, of Gypsy Lane, Irchester, and Hughie Doherty, 26, also of Newton Road, Rushden, in the court dock along with Entwistle and Horne.

They are alleged to have converted the proceeds of criminal conduct, money laundering, and of involvement in a number of fraud conspiracies. These include accusations of tax evasion, VAT fraud, a compensation scam defrauding the elderly and a housing fraud.

The prosecution alleges that once the contract was awarded, overpayments were being made, illegal payments were made in advance and that the contract was never finished. Entwistle and Horne are accused of covering up the true picture of the redevelopment of Kangaroo Spinney, near Wellingborough, and at the Gypsy Lane site in Irchester.

Christopher Donnellan QC, prosecuting, said the trial of the six defendants would last between six to 10 weeks was expected to happen in the later part of next year.

None of the defendants, who face a total of 19 allegations, was required to enter pleas and were released on conditional bail by Judge Richard Bray.