A woman accused of fraud while working at an estate agency failed to attend court because she was self isolating after her friend returned from Italy.

Keisha Lee, 36, was due to attend her trial at a London magistrates court on Thursday, but did not turn up because she was self isolating amid coronavirus concerns.

The court heard Lee contacted the court on Wednesday to say she had been in contact with somebody who may have coronavirus and that she is self isolating.

Lee, of Balham, is accused of committing fraud by abuse of position while working as a tenancies administrator at Chesterton's City of London.

According to the charge against her, she was expected to safeguard or not act against the financial interests of a Mr Ali Parkar and is said to have dishonestly abused that position intending to make a gain for herself in October 2016.

But she failed to appear at the City of London Magistrates' Court because she was self isolating after her friend recently returned from Italy.

Sharon Michaels, prosecuting, said: "I think she has a friend who has returned from Italy and in those circumstances, she is self isolating."

District Judge Michael Snow adjourned the case until next Thursday and said the court should expect defendants in those circumstances to attend, following current government advice.

In relation to the defendant's specific circumstances, he said: "The government advice is not that you self isolate at this stage."

He added: "I think we are going to have to be careful with just adjourning cases. We have to follow government advice.

"The court should expect defendants in those circumstances to attend. If government advice changes then fair enough.

"I am going to put this forward until March 19."