FORMER Cherries chief executive Laurence Jones has moved quickly to distance himself from Jeff Mostyn and Steve Sly's controversial takeover of the club.

Jones, who left Dean Court last month, was acting chairman when Mostyn and Sly's acquisition was put to the vote 11 months ago.

He wrote to all shareholders informing them of the details of the proposed takeover and also chaired the subsequent extraordinary general meeting.

Shareholders gave the buy-out an overwhelming vote of confidence after being told Mostyn and Sly would invest £750,000 "by way of share capital".

This week, it emerged that the funds have remained on the club's books as loans.

Jones, in a statement to the Daily Echo, said: "As the appointed chairman by the meeting, I presided over the EGM to ensure that the meeting was constitutionally correct, which it was. The resolutions were presented to the members who debated and gave their approval.

"Once the EGM was closed, the responsibility for ensuring that the resolutions were complied with and the appropriate notifications to Companies House were made was with the directors of the club and the company secretary, as with any company."

Jones, a lifelong Cherries supporter, officially severed his ties with the club in January to take up the role of interim chief executive at the Leicester and Rutland County FA.