A RESPECTED solicitor "went to bits" after his wife died from cancer and his professional partner was diagnosed with having the same disease, a tribunal heard.

Anthony James Lyons, aged 66, of Foregate Street, Worcester, admitted breaching the Law Society's accounting rules and was ordered to pay more than £1,800 costs at a Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, in London.

The tribunal heard that if his wife had been at work in the practice, the transfer of monies between client accounts to keep the books in balance would never have happened.

Emma Grace, prosecuting for the Law Society, said the firm's financial problems had been uncovered during a routine inspection of its books.

She said Mr Lyons had been transferring cash from one client's account to another during the course of conveyancing transactions.

"It became a vicious circle of borrowing from Peter to pay Paul," she said.

However, in the end all the money had been repaid with no clients losing any money. There was no allegation of dishonesty and Mr Lyons had not made any financial gain.

Terry Johnston, representing Mr Lyons, said his client had long been "well respected by his fellow solicitors in Worcester" but that in 1998 his wife Margo died from cancer.

"He was left on his own and managed as best he could but he was not fitted to carry out the sort of burden of a sole partner," he said.

The tribunal heard that his professional partner in the firm had retired after being diagnosed with cancer and Mr Lyons had got into the habit of "filing away letters unanswered."

Mr Lyons told the hearing on Tuesday he felt a "deep sense of shame."

He said he was no longer practising and had no intention of returning to legal work.

The tribunal ruled that as well as paying costs, he should be banned from making a further application for a practising certificate should he wish to return to the profession.