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FACING eviction . . . Oxford pub landlord Gary Cornforth and his daughter Kelly

Family left homeless as brewery sells pub in repairs dispute

A WERNETH pub manager and his family face eviction today after their landlord sold the business.

Gary and Beverley Cornforth, who have run the Oxford in Oxford Street for the past four years, learned the news when they returned from a holiday in Minorca a week ago.

Stockport brewery Frederic Robinson gave the couple, who have four children, verbal notice six weeks ago after a long-standing dispute over non-payment of rent.

But Mr Cornforth (41), who has spent the last 24 hours looking for alternative accommodation, says he was told the business was going up for auction and had no idea it would be sold off so soon.

The family were ordered to move out by today and are now left without work and no roof over their heads.

Mr Cornforth says the dispute arose over repairs to the pub’s roof and front wall which he says were promised when he signed the tenancy agreement but never carried out.

He protested by withholding £2,800 in rent, which led to him receiving notice to leave.

Mr Cornforth said: “The dispute over the repair work was going on well before we moved in.

“The building needs a new roof and a new front wall but the work hasn’t been done because the landlord says it will cost something in the region of £30,000 to £40,000.

“So Robinson’s have decided to sell it off instead.”

The family put in an application to First Choice Homes Oldham for accommodation, six weeks ago, but it was rejected because of the family’s poor record in keeping up with rent.

Mr Cornforth added: “Robinson’s have given us a letter to back us up and have asked us to go back to First Choice Homes’ homeless section to reapply.

“We have been left in a limbo because we have nowhere to go and I have to get all the furniture out. I don’t know what we’re going to do.”

A spokesperson for Frederic Robinson said: “Tenants of the Oxford pub were served notice to quit on September 18 due to non-payment of rent.

“The directors have nothing to say about this matter as the property has been sold.”