MORE pub managers today hit out at businessman Marcus Hyslop over claims they are owed money.

Mr Hyslop, who operates his Oak Leaf Inns pub leasing business from a house in Whitebirk Road, Blackburn, hit the headlines after a number of East Lancashire landlords claimed he owed them money. He claims he has been withholding cash because of "deficiencies in stock".

Steven and Louise Burns and their two young children, of Verona Avenue, Burnley, say they slept on floorboards in a boarded-up council house after being thrown out of their pub.

They left the White Hart in Burnley after receiving an eight-point dismissal notice from Oak Leaf Inns.

Now former driver, Steven, says he is poised to take action to recover the £1,400 wages and bond he claims is owing him.

The couple moved into the Bay Horse, Oswaldtwistle, in January. But things began to go wrong in the first month when their £327 wages cheque bounced, they claim.

"We were told just to take the money out of the takings," said Louise.

Three months later they transferred to the White Hart in Church Street. "It wasn't a case of requesting the move," said Steven. "Marcus just told us we were moving - there was no choice. "And he even had the cheek to to deduct the cost of the moving van from our wages!"

The dismissal notice says the couple failed to open all permitted hours. "The fact is there were times we couldn't open because we were a pub with no beer." says Steven.

The quit notice also cites:

Excessive wastage of beer - "This only happened once and he docked £59 from our wages," says Louise.

Lack of cleanliness - "We spent 36 man hours just cleaning the bar floor and many more sprucing the premises before we were prepared to open it," says Steven.

Excessive stock deficiencies, £1,200 in one case: "We never made enough to have any stock deficiency."

Banking and cash sheets not returned on time: "We could never get hold of any from the company, so we couldn't return them," Steven added.

The couple say they are now happy to be away from Oak Leaf Inns, but add they will pursue their claims in the county court as soon as possible.

Noel Nelligan, who runs the Griffin Hotel in Rossendale Road, Burnley, said he stopped a £2,380 cheque payable to Mr Hyslop after realising something was wrong.

Mr Nelligan said: "I was running the Arthur Inn in Bury when he came in one day and said he was interviewing for landlords for the Shepherd's Arms in Burnley which I used to run.

"I asked him where his office was and he would not tell me. He said he had had the pub for three years but I checked with the brewery and he had not. Luckily I cottoned on to him and had the cheque stopped so I've not lost anything."

Thwaites, who leased many of the pubs to Mr Hyslop, have launched their own inquiry.

Although Mr Hyslop has defended his decision to withold wages, he has been unavailable to comment on the latest allegations.

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