The president of Burnley & Pendle Law Society has called for police and solicitors to create a joint code of practice in handling investigations into solicitors, after complaining about the manner in which four of his members were arrested - including one who was charged last week - over allegations of money laundering.

John Greenwood, a partner with Burnley-based firm GHT, was charged with conspiracy to launder money in connection with an ongoing National Crime Squad investigation.

Anthony Barnfather, a business crime partner at Manchester firm Pannone & Partners, representing Mr Greenwood, said: 'These allegations concern events that occurred many years ago.

Throughout this lengthy investigation, our client has done his utmost to co-operate and assist the police.

He is sickened by the charge against him and will contest this case until his innocence is proved.'

The society's president, Andrew Payne, wrote to the Gazette last week - at the request of an extraordinary general meeting - calling for the code of conduct.

He said three more solicitors are currently on bail without charge in the district.

Mr Payne said: 'In each case [these three solicitors and Mr Greenwood], the police arrived at the solicitor's home around 7am with Black Marias [sic] and riot police.' Mr Payne said the raids had caused distress and disruption.

They followed the solicitors co-operating with police, he emphasised.

He proposed that no police inspectors should authorise raids before careful consideration of a code requiring solicitors to be arrested or raided only on evidence that they are complicit in money laundering, and that they are likely to destroy documentation if raids are not undertaken.

Law Society chief executive Janet Paraskeva said: 'The Law Society believes the police should take a proportionate approach when carrying out all of their duties.

But the Society certainly does not believe it would be in the public interest to have preferential procedures for solicitors who are suspected of criminality.'

Another solicitor from Burnley, together with one from Keighley, was recently charged with money laundering offences and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

They deny the charges (see [2004] Gazette, 8 April, 3).

Jeremy Fleming