L&ES licensees still unhappy

London & Edinburgh Swallow Group (L&ES) licensees remain unhappy with the situation over beer supplies despite reassurances from the company's administrators it is "business as usual".

Licensees were forced to buy outside the tie after L&ES went into administration on September 14 and nobody from the company was contactable.

Supplies are now believed to be getting through to all the affected pubs after administrators Ernst & Young struck a deal with Scottish and Newcastle last week.

Adrian Pearce, licensee of the Coach and Horses in Beedon, Berkshire, spoke to Ernst & Young on Monday, who explained that Scottish & Newcastle would continue to supply his beer.

But Mr Pearce said he was now financially under pressure, having paid for the delayed supplies on top of the beer he had bought outside the tie. "In effect I have paid twice," he said. "I'm paying for beer that's been delayed and I'm still not sure when it will turn up."

However some L&ES managers have suffered worse fates after it was announced that 15 of its managed pub sites would be closing.

Anne Wright, manager licensee at the Kings Inn, in Chipping Ongar, Essex - which was leased by L&ES from Enterprise Inns, was closed down on Tuesday morning by the administrators without prior notice. "I had been told nothing," she said. "We were told we were a site that wasn't making money and were being shut."

Ms Wright said she would not be entitled to any redundancy money as she had worked for the company for less than two years. She is also being forced to give up the three-bedroom flat above the pub that was occupied by her daughter.

She added: "I'm very sad. It's a Grade-II listed building, and we're a busy pub in the middle of a small village."