A Crawley man will be sentenced today for his role in illegally obtain personal data as part of a fiercely disputed stadium ownership battle.

Richard Michael Forrest, 31 and from Crawley, will be sentenced today at the Old Bailey along with fellow defendants Howard Hill, 59 and from Stockport, and Lee Stewart, 40 from Esher in Surrey.

The three men illegally obtained personal data from members of West Ham Football Club during the bidding process to become new tenants of the Olympic Stadium.

Hill, a former partner at accountancy firm PKF, was alleged to have employed private investigators to get information on the Premier League club and the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) while Tottenham Hotspur Football Club were bidding for the site.

Spurs used PKF to carry out an investigation linked to their bid, but the club has always denied any involvement in the illegal activity.

The trio pleaded guilty to obtaining personal data contrary to the Data Protection Act 1998 at Inner London Crown Court last month while three counts of fraud by false representation were also left to lie on file.

Tottenham lost out to West Ham in the race to become the OPLC's first choice to move into the stadium after the Olympics.

The Hammers are due to move into the stadium in Stratford, east London, in 2016.