The former bankers dubbed the NatWest Three will not stand trial until January, a year and a half after their extradition to the US to face fraud charges related to the collapse of energy group Enron, after their case was postponed to avoid a clash with a US state murder trial.

David Bermingham, Giles Darby and Gary Mulgrew, who formerly worked for NatWest and were originally arrested in the UK in April 2004, failed in their bid to prevent their extradition in July last year to the US, where they are now awaiting trial.