A TROUBLED East Lancashire nightspot has closed - leaving entertainers and former workers wondering when they will get their share of the £1million owed by the owners.

The doors were today closed at Brassingtons Cabaret Club, Burnley Road, Altham, whose owners Blentford Ltd could be wound up if they do not get up-to-date on their debt payments.

Receivers - who say none of those owed money have had a penny - want to track down Blentford director Duncan Adamson to find out why the Manchester-based company has failed to keep to agreed repayments.

Staff who were working at the former Martholme Grange nightclub until last month claim they were told the club would close temporarily. One worker, who asked not to be named, said she had since heard nothing and did not know whether she still had a job. Former restaurant manager Kay Linnane, 36, claims she and her husband George, 40, are owed around £15,000 in damages and backpay after they were sacked in December 1998.

An industrial tribunal in Manchester ruled Mrs Linnane was unfairly sacked by Blentford and that her husband was dismissed without reason. The tribunal ruled the couple should be paid more than £18,000.

The couple, of Fielding Street, Rishton, worked at Martholme Grange until September 1997 when the club was closed following an arson attack. They stayed on the club's books and began work again when the club reopened as Brassingtons in October 1998.

Mrs Linnane said: "I was pregnant when we were sacked and our daughter Molly is 18 months old now - we can not afford to do the things we want to do for her. It is a nightmare."

Ashley Yates, of Birmingham-based entertainment agency Brian Yates Associates, claimed that acts including tribute band Abbamania and comedian Billy Pearce had played to packed houses but were still owed almost £15,000. Mr Yates said he had warned other agencies not to deal with Brassingtons.

Mrs Linnane and Mr Yates both claim Mr Adamson, of Knutsford, Cheshire, has not returned their calls.

Abbamania band leader Dave Williams said: "We did a gig in October last year and we are still owed £2,000. It is getting really out of hand." Angry diners demanded refunds in December after claiming their Christmas parties had been foodless fiascos. They were told that their claims would be considered in the New Year but have heard nothing. Mrs Linnane claims some people are still owed hundreds of pounds for Christmas meals which were cancelled in 1997.

Faced with a winding-up petition last March, Blentford signed an undertaking to start paying off debts totalling £1,178,569.

The receivers supervising Blentford's payments under the corporate voluntary arrangement today confirmed that no creditors had received money because not enough cash had been paid by the company.

Steve Walker, from Stockport-based receivers WalkerTill, said: "The company is not keeping to the terms of its agreement. We are trying to contact Mr Adamson and haul him in to find out why payments have not been made.

"The company was making contributions until a few weeks ago, although none of the creditors have received dividends. "If Blentford Ltd do not get up to date with payments it is likely we would file a petition to wind up the company."

Mr Adamson is also sole director of a company called Bridgewater Securities Ltd and another called Bridgewater Finance. Blentford Ltd owes Yorkshire brewers John Smiths £294,201, the Inland Revenue £34,561 and Hyndburn Council £46,000.

A man answering Mr Adamson's mobile phone claimed he was a worker collecting the director's car. Mr Adamson's secretary said he did not wish to comment.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.