A solicitor who ran his high street firm without insurance has been struck off after lying about his cover.

Rajinder Heer operated firm Coventgate Law in Rochester as its director for four months without professional indemnity insurance.

The cover is mandatory for all practicing law firms and safeguards solicitors against civil liability claims from clients such as breach of trust, defamation and negligence.

However, the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal found Heer failed to maintain the insurance between October 11, 2021 and February 22, 2022.

The hearing also found the business owner misled the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) - the regulatory body for solicitors in England and Wales - when questioned about his lack of cover.

Mr Heer, who was admitted to practice law in 2013, ran the high street firm from 2018 until 2022 from offices in the high street once occupied by NatWest bank which is now a restaurant.

In 2021 he found himself unable to obtain professional indemnity insurance, which should have led to him closing the firm.

But the tribunal found Mr Heer did not do so and instead continued to act for his clients.

He also attempted to set up a new firm but was again unable to obtain authorisation.

Following a complaint from another legal firm it emerged Heer had still been acting for a seller in a conveyancing transaction.

The SRA found four live matters when the company was supposed to have closed, including a neighbour dispute over trees with the local council, and a dispute with a plumbing and heating company.

A payment of £600 had also been taken for the latter when the firm was not supposed to be carrying out work.

Mr Heer insisted to the SRA the conveyancing work had been a "one-off", while he told the other firm in the conveyancing matter he was waiting for his new proposed entity to be authorised and his clients were happy to wait for this.

However, he denied dishonesty and said any omissions were due to a "genuine misunderstanding" about the matter, adding he was "completely confused" about how to interpret the regulations.

Yet it was proved he not only breached insurance rules, but that he "deliberately and dishonestly concealed the position from the SRA, the intervention agents, a third-party firm of solicitors and his clients".

The tribunal also found multiple breaches of the SRA accounts rules - something which ensures clients' money held by firms is kept safe.

Mr Heer did not engage with the proceedings and did not attend the hearing.

He was struck off the roll of solicitors and ordered to pay almost £11,000 in costs.