Kilshaw's business under scrutiny

Mr Kilshaw was recently declared bankrupt

The solicitor who waged a legal battle to keep twin girls he arranged to adopt over the internet is to appear before a legal tribunal.

Alan Kilshaw, who adopted American-born babies Belinda and Kimberley with his wife Judith, will face allegations of financial irregularities over the business he ran from his home.

A spokesman for the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors, the regulatory arm of the Law Society, said: "We can't go into details of the allegations but they do concern financial irregularities."

The hearing will take place in London on 23 July.

Judith Kilshaw with the twins

Mr Kilshaw said on Friday the hearing related to a current legal dispute with a former business associate.

He said: "We are in the process of taking a third party, a former business associate, to court and at present we are withholding monies from that third party until we know the outcome of the court case.

"I have been asked to come to the tribunal in London to explain the situation to them.

"The court case hasn't started yet but we are hoping it will go before the High Court within a matter of weeks.

"That is all I can really tell you at the moment."

Bankrupt

Mr Kilshaw was declared bankrupt earlier this year after running up legal bills of more than £60,000 during the couple's failed custody battle for the babies last year.

The Kilshaws took the babies back to their north Wales home in December 2000 but were forced to hand them over to social services the following month.

They had to move out of their six-bedroom farmhouse in Buckley, north Wales, and now live in a bungalow in Chester.

Following the high-profile adoption case, the government announced plans to crack down on the internet adoption of children as part of the Adoption and Children Bill.