Three men have appeared in court in connection with spying allegations surrounding the first bidding process for the tenancy of the Olympic Stadium in Stratford.

Howard Hill, 58, from Stockport, a former partner at accountancy firm PKF, Richard Michael Forrest, 30, of Crawley and Lee Stewart, 39, from Esher, are charhed with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.

The trio appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today for a brief hearing, and were released on unconditional bail to re-appear at Southwark Crown Court on February 1.

Prosecutors claim that they were involved in a conspiracy to get confidential information about “figures in the public eye” by pretending to be those people.

Hill, Forrest and Stewart were arrested earlier this month by detectives investigating claims made by West Ham United and the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC).

OPLC chairman Baroness Ford claimed last year that Spurs had all 14 members of her board monitored by private investigators, but the north London club has always denied this.

Tottenham lost out to West Ham in the race to become the OPLC’s first choice to move into the stadium after the Olympics.

The deal with West Ham and Newham Council to use the stadium in Stratford, east London, after the 2012 Games collapsed in October last year.