A LANCASTER yoga teacher has "barred" council officials from her studio in a row over the building.

Pat Benson, who teaches yoga to 200 people a week at her studio in St Leonardsgate, says the "lock out" is her way of protesting at the way the council has treated her.

But the authority has hit back saying they have acted perfectly reasonably at all times.

Ms Benson claims that when she took on the derelict property a council spokesman told her any money she spent fixing it up would be taken into consideration when assessing rent.

But despite spending £25,000 to develop the yoga studio she now claims the council has changed its tune.

She also says they have refused to deal with excessive noise and have not kept the building in a fit and proper state.

"I locked out the officials and they were very annoyed but so am I," said Pat.

"They said they money I spent would be taken into consideration and it wasn't, as landlords they are obliged to stop it raining in but they haven't and although their environmental health officer told me the noise created by the amateur dramatics people down stairs was well above the permitted level they've done nothing about it."

Ms Benson has refused to sign the council's lease until they address these issues and has also withheld her rent. She wants a new lease which states that there will be no noise after 9pm so she can teach relaxation classes.

Now the council plan to sell the building at an auction on March 6 but Ms Benson's "lock out" this prevented surveyors inspecting the property.

"I've spent my own money fixing up a derelict space that had been left to rot for eight years. It was disgusting," added Ms Benson.

"Now the council want to sell it and will benefit from my investment yet they are not willing to rewrite my lease to guarantee a small period of peace and quiet so I can teach. That's all I really want, the other problems are side issues. When I can get on with my business I'll happily sign up and pay my rent. Is that too much to ask?"

A council spokesman denied the claims made by Ms Benson and confirmed that she had refused to sign the lease and was in rent arrears. The authority said they had tried to mediate between the amateur dramatics group and the yoga studios and that they had dealt with concerns about the roof.

The spokesman added: "On the subject of money she has invested in the business, in May last year the lady sent a letter in which she claimed to have spent £15,000 on her section of the property. Much of this work is largely cosmetic and specific to her business and not of benefit to any future tenant."