THE former county coroner for Carmarthenshire has been arrested for alleged financial irregularities at his solicitor's practice.

John Owen, 76, had been under investigation by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), which suspended his practising certificate because of a "reason to suspect dishonesty".

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed on Monday a 76-year-old man, understood to be Mr Owen, had been arrested.

A spokeswoman said: "Dyfed Powys Police have arrested a 76-year-old man in connection with an ongoing inquiry into financial irregularities at a business in Llandeilo."

He has been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Mr Owen was a veteran solicitor of 50 years, the last 25 of which were spent as the coroner for Carmarthenshire.

In September the SRA intervened into his practice, based at Corner House, Carmarthen Street, Llandeilo, taking control of his accounts and files.

The body suspended his practising certificate, giving its reasons in a report which is still available online.

The report said: "There was reason to suspect dishonesty; there was a failure to comply with the Solicitors Code of Conduct 2007; and there was a failure to comply with the Solicitors Accounts Rules 1998.

It added: "It was necessary to exercise the intervention powers in order to protect the interests of clients (or former or potential clients) or the interests of the beneficiaries of any trust which Mr Owen or Moreb Ltd trading as John Owen Solicitors is or was a trustee."

Paul Caldicott of Morgan Cole LLP, Swansea, was appointed as agent acting on behalf of the SRA and wrote to all clients of John Owen Solicitors about ongoing business.

The SRA then handed its files to the police, which joined the investigation.

After Mr Owen's offices shut on September 12, a note was put on the door directing people to Llys Cennen Solicitors, Ammanford, which took over Mr Owen's files.

Soon afterwards, Carmarthenshire Council announced Mr Owen had resigned. His deputy, Pauline Mainwaring, also of John Owen Solicitors, took over as temporary coroner.

A permanent replacement was found earlier this month when the county council announced Mark Layton, the coroner for Pembrokeshire, would be taking on the Carmarthenshire role.

The fact that the two authorities would be sharing a coroner meant a projected £20,000 saving in the Carmarthenshire Council budget.

The job of a coroner is to investigate the causes of unnatural or sudden deaths. It is up to them whether to open an inquest after someone dies, and, if they do, they decide which witnesses to call and which questions to ask them.

A coroner is, technically, appointed by the Crown, but in practice this is done through the local authority.

To become a coroner a person needs a degree in the medical or legal field.

As a solicitor, Mr Owen's practice was overseen by the SRA, which was set up at the start of 2007. It was designed to make sure solicitors adhered to high standards. It oversees 120,000 practices in England and Wales.