Angry creditors of Brighton letting agent Keith Youngs fear they may have lost their money after liquidators handling his firm's collapse quit.

Mr Youngs, whose firm Youngs Owen closed its office in April, asked Sheffield-based insolvency practice Wilson Field to wind up his family business.

Former clients, who have claimed they are owed thousands of pounds by the firm, wanted to quiz Mr Youngs at a creditors' meeting.

However, Wilson Field director Nick Wilson told The Argus he had lost patience with Mr Youngs' failure to hand over vital financial information and cash.

Mr Wilson said: "We need creditor and financial information to get the ball rolling but we have not had it through. We have not had any information at all.

"As far as we're concerned we are not dealing with Youngs Owen any more - that's 99.9 per cent certain."

He said creditors' only options were to petition for costs or the winding-up of the company, which would be expensive, or to wait for someone else to wind up the firm.

However, Mr Youngs, of St John's Road, Hove, has insisted he will provide Wilson Field with the money needed to proceed.

All Youngs Owen accounts and assets have been frozen for the time being. But Mr Youngs' lawyers last night issued a statement to The Argus on his behalf, saying: "Wilson Field will be put into funds in the near future.

"Our client was told by Wilson Field not to forward any further details, which they had arranged to collect from him, until these funds have been forwarded. Our client is still of the intention that everything that can be done will be done to ensure that Youngs Owen clients are dealt with.

"He is co-operating in all areas to deal with the company's situation and surrounding matters but feels that The Argus has only hindered the situation rather than helped."

The Argus has been investigating the collapse of Youngs Owen since April and has spoken to many former clients who say they have been badly treated and left severely out-of-pocket.

Landlords, tenants and contractors claim they are owed substantial amounts of cash by the firm, which was based in Western Road, Hove, until suddenly closing on April 3.

Landlords have told how rents collected from their tenants were not passed on to them. Deposits and payments for contractors' work have also not been paid.

The office has now been cleaned out. Several days after it closed, a note was left on the window referring clients to Wilson Field.

The Argus has learnt of claims totalling more than £60,000, though Youngs Owen has disputed the exact figures.

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said statements had been taken from former Youngs Owen clients and were being considered by the force's CID team.

Thursday June 5, 2003