A civil courtroom action over £1.7 million allegedly missing from the funds of Nechells Baths is to begin next week – days after the arrest of Birmingham churchman David Collyer.

The case – Midlands Regen v Collyer – is listed to start on September 3 in the High Court Chancery Division in Birmingham and is expected to last for several days.

The civil case comes less than two weeks after Canon Collyer, a former treasurer of Birmingham Cathedral, was arrested at his home in Birmingham.

A spokeswoman for Birmingham High Court said: “I can confirm that the hearing is listed before Judge Purle from September 3.”

It is understood that prominent Midland businessmen Tim Watts and David Bucknall will be among witnesses giving evidence, as well as David Collyer.

Canon Collyer was held at his home by officers investigating the alleged disappearance of £1.7 million from a project to restore Nechells Baths. He was detained on suspicion of fraud by abuse of position and later released on bail pending further inquiries.

The police investigation followed a long-running dispute between Mr Collyer and Mr Watts and Mr Bucknall. Mr Collyer had been appointed chair of an organisation called Midlands Regen, which was established specifically for the Nechells Baths project.

It sat within an umbrella charity called Birmingham Foundation, of which Mr Watts and Mr Bucknall were in charge.

A statement issued last year by the Nechells Regeneration Group, which managed the four-year, £5 million baths restoration project, said: “Nechells Regeneration Project has asked West Midlands Police to look into the disappearance of approximately £1.7 million in funds during the period when operating company Midlands Regen was chaired by Canon David Collyer.