An Oxfordshire man has lost his final battle to avoid being extradited to the United States to answer fraud charges.

David Bermingham from Goring is among three former Nat West investment bankers to face the charges related to the collapse of energy giant Enron.

Mr Bermingham, 43, together with Gary Mulgrew and Giles Darby, learned that the European Court of Human Rights would not be asking the UK Government to stay their extradition to the US under the terms of a controversial treaty.

The trio, all UK citizens, are accused of defrauding Greenwich NatWest, a subsidiary of British parent company NatWest, of 7.3m US dollars (£4.2m).

The alleged offences came to light following the collapse of the US energy company Enron, and led to the US government issuing extradition requests in February 2004.

Lawyers for the bankers fought extradition on two fronts.

Firstly, they claimed that the Serious Fraud Office, not the Americans, should investigate the case - and any trial should take place in the UK.

Secondly, they argued that the offences are not extradition offences and that forcing the bankers to stand trial in the US would be unjust and incompatible with European and UK human rights law.

But Mr Bermingham told the Radio 4 Today programme that after the House of Lords last week refused to review the case it had been "inevitable" the European Court of Human Rights would rule against him and his former NatWest colleagues.

He said he would have to leave Britain for the USA before midnight on July 17. He also accused the UK Government of behaving "despicably" and of "lying in court".

Tomorrow some City business figures are to march in protest to the Home Office in protest against the extradition. A letter of appeal will also be delivered to the Home Secretary.