A plea hearing for a Stowmarket man accused of drug offences has been adjourned for two weeks.

Terrance Taylor was due to have attended the hearing at Ipswich Crown Court via a prison video link but the court was told by his solicitor that he wasn’t going to attend because he hadn’t got a barrister to represent him.

Taylor of Glemsford Road, Stowmarket, is accused of possessing cocaine with intent to supply on or around September 27 2019 and possessing cannabis.

His solicitor Peter Spary said he hadn’t been able to instruct a solicitor to represent Taylor in the proceedings because of ongoing strike action by barristers who started their first whole week of strike action over levels of legal aid funding on Monday (July 18).

Members of the Criminal Bar Association, which represents advocates in England and Wales, began action with a two-day strike at the end of last month and have been escalating it by an extra day every week.

If a deal is not agreed with the government criminal barristers will stage five-day walkouts every other week from now on.

Recorder Gabrielle Posner adjourned Taylor’s plea and trial preparation hearing until August 9 and remanded him in custody.