SPORTS swindler Adrian Voss was being sought by police today after he failed to turn up at a crown court for sentencing.

Voss, a Cricket official from Dorchester, was warned at a previous hearing that he could face jail after he pleaded guilty to 20 offences including deception, forgery and theft.

At Winchester Crown Court yesterday, Judge Andrew Barnett immediately issued a warrant for Voss's arrest when the father-of-two failed to make an appearance.

Voss, a former vice-chairman of the Dorchester and District Evening Cricket League, admitted running a sporting scam which swindled people out of hundreds of thousands of pounds when he appeared at the court last month. The offences, which stretch back four years and involve victims from across Dorset and Hampshire, relate to Voss promising big profits on sporting memorabilia deals in exchange for cash, the court was told.

Voss then forged a number of cheques, one for as much as £520,000, on his wife Christine's account in a bid to cover himself.

The Crown asked for a further 10 charges which Voss had denied, including deception, forgery and theft of equipment, to lie on file.

The case was adjourned while a pre-sentence report was drawn up and Voss was given bail on the condition he lived at an address in Dorchester, reported regularly to a police station and did not go near his former home in Cromwell Road.

Voss, who was warned a prison sentence was almost inevitable, was said to be suffering significant health problems including heart problems, diabetes and depression.

Judge Barnett ordered the warrant not backed for bail after hearing from Voss's barrister Sarah Jones yesterday.

She said: "We have attempted to get in touch with him but there's no answer.

"Previously he was becoming more and more stressed and less and less well.

"I've nothing to substantiate other than he's turned up on every occasion."

Miss Jones said Voss had entered guilty pleas and had co-operated with officials during the drawing up of the pre-sentence report.

For the Crown, Michael Forster said: "Clearly he now realises the potential of a severe sentence."