FORMER Rangers owner Craig Whyte faces the prospect of prison after a second arrest warrant was issued against him over his latest failure to appear at a court hearing.

Whyte's representatives indicated earlier this week that he planned to return to Scotland to help police with their inquiries in connection with his alleged fraudulent 2011 takeover of the club.

He had been due to appear at the Royal Courts of Justice in London over his separate involvement in a legal dispute with Ticketus, which successfully took action against Whyte.

Whyte was threatened with up to 28 days in jail for failing to attend a court date on September 29, after failing to show for hearings in May and July. At that point an order was made to establish contact "first, care of his father, secondly, at his address for service on the court file, which is an address in Monaco, and thirdly, by text message to his mobile telephone number."

Whyte has now failed to appear at hearings related to the Ticketus case on four occasions.

An arrest warrant was issued by the Scottish authorities for Whyte last Friday, the same day four men were detained in raids over his purchase of the club from Sir David Murray in 2011. They appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday.

Mr Justice Arnold said in a ruling last month that Whyte's "track record clearly indicates that he will evade any attempt at personal service".

Ticketus handed Whyte £17.7 million as part of a season ticket-purchase agreement struck in May 2011 and it was subsequently used in the Motherwell-born businessman's deal to buy the Ibrox outfit.

The firm said Whyte fraudulently or negligently made representations that induced it to enter into agreements related to the sale or purchase of Rangers season tickets, and successfully claimed damages.

It said it would never have entered into the deal with Mr Whyte had it known he had been previously banned as a director.