BREWERY bosses angry about Selby Council's "lack of co-operation" have retaliated - by putting bollards across part of a public car park.

Samuel Smiths Old Brewery took up its entrenched position by bringing in an excavator to install concrete bollards around a strip of land, which was part of Tadcaster's Central Area car park.

The brewery leased the strip of land - about 40 metres by three metres - to the council, but the lease ran out on Saturday.

As soon as the lease expired, the company put up metal railings before putting in the bollards to create private car parking and access.

The latest action is part of a long-running dispute between Sam Smiths and the district council over how the car park should be refurbished.

Councillors want to spend £500,000 on a major revamp and had already appointed contractors to do the work when the brewery threatened them with a High Court injunction. The work had to be suspended last week and the scheme will now go back to the council's planning committee for further consideration.

Sam Smiths has submitted a rival application, but is unhappy at the council's lack of progress in processing it.

In May last year the council was successful in getting the car park back from the brewery after taking court action.

In a leaflet sent to Tadcaster households this week, the brewery said it had sealed off the strip of land because of lack of co-operation by the council to achieve a privately-funded comprehensive town centre improvement scheme.

The brewery said it had threatened to take the matter to court because the council did not apply the law correctly when it granted itself planning permission for its own scheme.

The leaflet added: "The brewery is still willing to negotiate with the council."

Selby Council's senior planning officer, Richard Borrows, said they had not dealt with the brewery's application because it was "not complete."

The council's chief executive, Martin Connor, said: "Our scheme will now go back to the planning committee to resolve some planning technicalities.

"The car park's new layout will take into account the restrictions created by the bollards, which will reduce the number of public parking spaces."

Tadcaster councillor Jean Ashton said: "This dispute has been running longer than the Forsyte Saga.

"The people of Tadcaster are fed up to the teeth and I just can't see any light at the end of the tunnel."

Updated: 10:05 Thursday, June 26, 2003