Adidas has been accused of failing to pay more than £200,000 in business rates for a store in Swindon.

A complaint for a liability order in respect of unpaid non-domestic rates and costs has been brought to the courts' attention by Swindon Borough Council.

The first hearing on the matter was held at Swindon Magistrates Court on March 22.

The court register notes that this case relates to a sum of £200,692.46 for the Great Western Outlet Village, also known as the McArthur Glen Designer Outlet

A representative for the defendant - The Adidas Centre on Pepper Road in Stockport, Cheshire - was not present in court on the day.

Proceedings were adjourned to 2pm on Tuesday, April 26, for the non-standard reason that there is a dispute over who has liability for these allegedly unpaid fees.

The non-domestic rates mentioned in the charge are also known as business rates, which are collected by local authorities.

The money, together with revenue from council taxpayers, locally generated income, and grants from central government, is used to pay for the services provided by local authorities in Swindon.

Seeking a liability order through the local magistrates court is a common way for non-domestic rate debts to be recovered.