A RESTAURANT owner is set to sue Warrington Borough Council which, he claims, almost crippled his business and damaged his reputation.

Nico Siano's troubles began when he tried to expand his restaurant, Nico's Place, on Lovely Lane, by renting the derelict, council-owned building next door.

He claims that council bosses gave him two years' rent free, to allow him the time and money to renovate the building.

After winning planning approval to use the building as a restaurant, Nico started renovations - only to be told by contractors that the frontage was in danger of falling on to the road and would cost £9,000 to fix.

Nico said: "I contacted the council and they sent out a structural engineer who agreed it was unsafe and said the work had to stop. But by then I was already heavily committed financially to about £25,000 for the repairs and equipment.

"It took them 11 months to get the work done. I was meant to re-open on Valentine's Day, but that didn't happen until October."

Since then the borough council has taken legal action against Nico after a wall at the back of the property collapsed to the back of his restaurant earlier this year.

"They ordered me to clean it up. I told them it was their property and they should clean it up. So they took me to court over it," he claimed.

But the council lost the case on Tuesday and now Nico is looking for financial compensation.

"This has caused me endless stress," he said. "This council doesn't give a damn. They almost crippled my business. I have tried to do something for the area and improve it."

The borough council was unavailable for comment as the GUARDIAN went to press.

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