Black maintains not guilty plea over cocaine charge

Hearts midfielder Ian Black is maintaining his not guilty plea to being in possession of cocaine at an Edinburgh nightclub.

The 26-year-old, who signed for the Tynecastle side in 2009 from Inverness Caledonian Thistle, appeared at an intermediate diet hearing in the city’s Sheriff Court yesterday. His agent, Rebecca Weissgerber, told Sheriff Frank Crowe that her client was maintaining his not guilty plea. Fiscal depute Bruce Macrosson moved that another intermediate diet be held in two weeks time “to allow investigations into further allegations”. The trial date of October 18 was preserved. Black, who lives in Tranent, is alleged to have been in possession of the Class A drug at the Lava & Ignite nightclub in Tollcross on May 16 this year.