OXFORD United’s outstanding bill to HM Revenue & Customs has been paid, the Oxford Mail understands.

A winding-up petition was filed last month and was published in the Gazette on Friday.

It put the U’s on course for an appearance in the High Court on December 19, but that now looks set to be avoided.

While it is still pending with the court, it is understood the payment - believed to be a six-figure sum - was paid earlier today.

The next step would be for an application to withdraw the case.

United’s only comment on the situation came last month, when director Zaki Nuseibeh told a meeting of supporters’ trust OxVox members it would be paid that week.

The delay in progress saw OxVox release a statement yesterday, where chairman Colin Barson made it clear they were “extremely concerned with the way our club is being run”.

It was the second winding-up petition since Sumrith ‘Tiger’ Thanakarnjanasuth took over the club in February.

And while the latest issue appears to have been averted, questions remain about how the situation arose, why it took so long to solve and what steps are being taken to avoid a repeat.