OWNERS of 14 small businesses on a Burnley industrial estate can look forward to a secure future after their leasing company settled an outstanding rent debt.

The owners said they had paid property company Wilor Investments, of Swansea, but Burnley Council said the company owed £47,000 in rent arrears.

The council pursued the property company for the money and in February forfeited its lease and changed the locks on empty business premises on Farrington Court in a legal move to recover the arrears.

But the company paid up before any court action .

A council spokeswoman said: "We regret any inconvenience caused and sympathise with those businesses which were worried about their status as sub-tenants during these last weeks.

"However, we had a duty to local people to use the best means open to us to collect the debt, which was considerable."

Wilor has had its lease on the industrial estate buildings reinstated and continues to sub-let to small businesses.

Asked if the company could do the same thing again, the spokeswoman said she hoped that, because of the action the council had taken, the company would not try to withhold the rent in future.

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