Match-fixing investigation: Two footballers bailed

Image caption, The National Crime Agency is investigating fixing claims

Two non-league footballers facing betting fraud charges have been bailed until Friday.

Michael Boateng and Hakeem Adelakun, both 22, play for Whitehawk FC, based in Brighton, in the Conference South.

They spoke only to confirm their names and addresses during a short hearing at Birmingham Magistrates' Court.

The pair are accused of conspiring to defraud bookmakers by influencing the course of football matches and placing bets.

They arrived at court with their faces covered and were not required to enter a plea.

Mr Boateng and Hakeem Adelkun were charged on 5 November and have now been bailed to appear at Birmingham Crown Court on 13 December.

They were arrested as part of a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into an alleged international betting syndicate.

Two other men, one Singaporean and the other with dual UK-Singapore nationality were charged last month.

Chann Sankaran and Krishna Sanjey Ganeshan remain in custody after being charged on 28 November.

The Conference South division is effectively the sixth tier of English football.