NORTHWICH Vics owner Mike Connett says the club has nothing to fear because of missing accounts.

The threat of a second enforced relegation in three years is hanging over the club after John Moules, operations director of the Nationwide Conference league, said they were in breach of regulations by not filing their company accounts - and demotion was a possibility.

But Mr Connett told the Chronicle on Monday: 'There is no problem at all. We have done nothing wrong. Just ask the Conference.'

The issue, raised by a Radio Five Live investigation broadcast on Thursday, is understood to be high on the agenda at tomorrow's Conference board meeting.

Mr Moules was unavailable for comment on Tuesday but told the Non League Paper that the Conference was 'concerned' about the situation, and said clubs breaching rules would be punished.

He said: 'We wrote to Northwich in the summer asking for the accounts, but didn't receive them.

'We are strong on these issues. If a club is in breach of our rules, they face the threat of relegation and that is the case with Northwich.

'We are certainly concerned about the situation. We are diligent about accounts being filed and they are in breach of our

competition rules.'

The club may have filed its account since the weekend, which would probably appease the Conference, who are keeping a special watch on Northwich because it is a newly created club.

Northwich Victoria (2004) Ltd was due to have filed accounts at Companies House in May, but has not done so. Mr Connett was quoted in the Non League Paper as saying he would provide the Conference with the paperwork this week.

It is not unusual for football clubs to be late with their accounts, but the BBC's investigation has been passed to the Conference and then to the FA's compliance unit, which is in charge of looking after the integrity of the game.

Mr Connett refused to answer Five Live's allegations made about his business history after the report found he had failed to produce financial accounts for the club. Mr Connett told the Chronicle on Monday he had no comment to make on the programme because his lawyers were dealing with the matter.

The compliance unit is checking to ensure everyone has complied with its requirements made when the new club was registered and a spokesman said on Monday: 'Northwich are co-operating with us.'