THE Crinkley Bottom saga took a new turn this week with an out of court agreement securing an 11th hour stand off between Noel Edmonds' Unique Group and the City Council. Both sides were due to meet in the Appeal Court on Monday to agree how the council's breach of contract case should proceed. Following last minute talks both sides will now face each other later this year. The council is determined to get Unique into court to face the breach of contract claims even though they have withdrawn claims of misrepresentation, negligent mis-statement and breach of warranty.

The Unique Group has issued a counter claim against the council and the long-running legal battle has so far resulted in spiralling legal costs for the local authority, reputed to be more than £100,000.

The council is pursuing a claim of more than £1 million alleging that Unique failed to provide the necessary creative input to successfully convert Morecambe's Happy Mount Park into a Crinkley Bottom theme park. Other allegations claim that Unique failed to attract appropriate sponsorship, promotion and publicity for the park and did not even provide a decent suit for Mr Blobby!

Mr Edmonds' company denies all the claims and a spokesman described the council's latest decision as "an important victory."

He added: "It shows that Lancaster Council basically agrees we were right in all the most important areas."

Unique's counter claim against the authority is thought to be a seven figure sum.

Town clerk, John Burrows, defended the council's action to date saying: "Not only is the council seeking to recover its losses incurred from operating and terminating the theme park but also that Unique should not receive any further payment from the council."

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