Leyton Orient face a winding-up order over an unpaid tax bill.

The struggling League Two club, owned by Italian businessman Francesco Becchetti, will have the case heard at the High Court on March 20, at 10.30am.

Orient face the threat of liquidation if they cannot settle their debt to HMRC, which Standard Sport understands is in the region of £250,000.

It is the latest blow for the crisis-hit club, who face dropping out of the Football League this season after 112 years of membership.

Orient — London’s second oldest club behind Fulham — lost 4-1 at Stevenage last night and are second bottom of League Two, six points adrift of safety.

Standard Sport revealed last month that Becchetti was willing to sell, but was reluctant to take any less than the £4million he paid to buy Orient from sports promoter Barry Hearn in July 2014.

The worry among some at Orient is that while investors have expressed an interest in acquiring the club, their enthusiasm would wane if Orient were to drop into the National League.

Hearn’s Matchroom Sport company still owns the club’s ground, the Matchroom Stadium.

When contacted by Standard Sport today, an Orient spokesman declined to comment either on the winding-up petition or on the size of the unpaid bill.

A Football League spokesman said: “We are aware of the situation at Leyton Orient. We are in contact with the club and we will ask them for their observations.”

Members of the Leyton Orient Fans’ Trust (LOFT) will gather tomorrow to set up a fighting fund in a bid to raise £100,000 to protect the club.

Supporters hope to launch a rescue package to use if Becchetti decides to sell or Orient go into administration.

The money could also be used to start a “phoenix club” in the mould of AFC Wimbledon, although that is seen as a last resort at this stage.

Fans have drawn up a plan to deal with what they describe as “crisis scenarios” and members will vote on proposals tomorrow.

Becchetti said in a statement that he would “continue to fund the club” after putting them up for sale last month but fans fear he is running Orient into the ground.

Since Danny Webb, 33, was appointed manager on January 29 — the 10th man to take charge during the Becchetti era — Orient have lost five of their seven matches in League Two, winning only one.

Orient slashed the club’s wage bill substantially in January by allowing striker Jay Simpson, who had handed in a transfer request, to join Philadelphia Union. Alan Dunne and Jordan Bowery, who were among the higher earners, also departed.

That has left a squad containing a strong youth element, which insiders fear is ill-equipped to survive in League Two.

Although experienced players such as Nicky Hunt and Michael Collins played at Stevenage last night, the starting XI featured four teenagers and one player, Sandro Semedo, aged 20. The three substitutes used were Steven Alzate, 18, Freddy Moncur, 20, and Victor Adeboyejo, 19.

Webb has plenty of faith in the club’s youngsters, partly because of his time spent working with the Under-16 and Under-18 sides at the club, but there is also a feeling that more general know-how is needed given the team’s current plight.