The owner of a popular seafood stall in North Finchley is facing a court battle to stop her landlord evicting her.

Olivia Toovey, who has run the P & O seafood stall for more than nine years outside the Swan and Pyramids pub in High Road, has been asked to leave the grounds by Patrick Doherty, the tenant landlord, because he wants to redevelop the pub.

Mrs Toovey, who is from Essex, has no written contract but believes she had a verbal contract with the previous landlord, enabling her to remain as long as she wanted.

She says her livelihood is at stake and she cannot move because she has spent years building up her customer base.

More than 300 people have signed a petition urging Mr Doherty to change his mind.

"Originally he wanted me to move to the back of the car park, which is obviously not suitable because no-one can see you," she said.

"I can't understand his logic really. I attract people to the pub all the time. The majority of his customers have signed the petition."

But Mr Doherty replied: "I could get thousands of signatures on a petition if I wanted to. That doesn't mean anything.

"We want to develop the front of the pub to make it more of a food-friendly pub. It doesn't look very nice in the front of the pub. I want to make it more attractive from the road, put in trees and tables."

He added that Mrs Toovey's customers are often a nuisance because they create a mess and block the road to the car park.

The Punch Pub Company, which owns the Swan and Pyramids, has chosen not to get involved in the issue. The case is not expected to reach the High Court until next year.

October 31, 2001 17:59

LEIGH COLLINS