The Solicitors Regulation Authority has extended and expanded the conditions placed on a solicitor convicted earlier this year of stalking.
Andrew Milne’s practising certificate was amended earlier this year to prevent him acting as a solicitor without supervision. Milne, a solicitor for 40 years, was convicted in February of stalking court blogger Daniel Cloake in 2024.
Milne’s conduct has also been raised by MPs in parliament in relation to his acquisition of freeholds in the north of England.
Bolton West MP Phil Brickell told the House of Commons last month that Milne had been arrested by South Yorkshire police over allegations of fraud and blackmail. The MP said Milne bought freeholds cheaply and threatened to take his constituents to court if they did not pay him thousands of pounds.
An SRA adjudicator has now decided that Milne, of Andrew Milne & Co Solicitors, should be subject to a further condition that he may not practise as a solicitor in real property law. This includes both litigation and transactional work.
The regulator said the second condition has been imposed to run concurrently with the original interim condition as it addresses a different risk.
Jonathan Peddie, executive director of investigations, enforcement and litigation at the SRA, said: ‘We have serious concerns regarding wider allegations which have been made about Mr Milne. Our priority is to protect the public. This is why we have imposed a further condition upon him.’
The SRA continues to investigate issues linked to both the stalking matter and wider concerns.
The conditions on Milne’s practising certificate take immediate effect for the remainder of the 2025/26 practising year. There is no current timeframe for review, and upon annual renewal the SRA can automatically add the conditions to Milne’s practising certificates in future years.
Milne’s law firm has previously denied any allegations of impropriety in relation to the leaseholds.
