A 39-year-old woman is to face trial accused of fraud at a charity riding club for children and adults.

Rachel Smith appeared before magistrates in Bingley yesterday accused of five offences of fraud by abuse of position at the Aire Valley Riding Club, based in Laneside, Wilsden.

She was in the dock expecting to be committed for trial at Bradford Crown Court after a previous bench ruled the case was too serious to be heard by magistrates.

Smith, of Shay Gate Cottage, Shay Gate, Wilsden, heard the prosecution explain that the papers had just been served on her defence solicitor, Paul Fitzpatrick, that morning.

Mr Fitzpatrick said: “This not a straightforward allegation and involves looking at accounting documentation.

“I’m asking for two weeks’ adjournment so I can consider the papers and see if there’s a case to answer on each allegation.”

The bench agreed to allow a further two weeks delay and remanded Smith on bail until August 4 when she is expected to be committed to Bradford Crown Court.

The case follows a report of missing money – said to be thousands of pounds – by the chairman last year.

The Telegraph & Argus reported, in October last year that two women had voluntarily attended a police station in the Bradford area to help police with their inquiries into the matter.

Nobody had been arrested at that time and a police spokesman said the investigation was ongoing.

One of the Aire Valley club’s 200 members said everybody at the club was ‘devastated’ after hearing that money had gone missing from its savings account.

The savings would have been used to buy rosettes as prizes for young showjumpers and to go towards an all-weather arena at the riding club’s base.

The club’s committee has now had to put the arena plans on hold.

Aire Valley Riding Club, a charity, was established 66 years ago and has 16 volunteers on its books.