Bailiffs tried to seize a businesswoman's goods to repay someone else's debt.

To add insult to injury, they also issued a court order to stop Maxine Nelson trading until she could prove she was not the debtor.

Mrs Nelson opened The Cosmetic Ingredient Store in Portland Road, Hove, in August, expanding her cosmetics factory venture from Cornwall.

She planned to open another small factory in Hove but, after bailiffs marched into her shop on Friday and told her to cease trading, she is threatening to quit the city altogether.

The bailiffs gave her a list of items in her shop they planned to seize by Wednesday to repay the debt and issued her with a court order preventing her selling any goods.

She insisted she was not the person named on the paperwork and the debt did not belong to her, but the bailiffs told her she would have to prove it before she could continue trading.

The bailiffs were instructed to seize the goods on behalf of Brighton and Hove City Council for non-payment of business rates to the tune of £1,740.60.

The court order, issued by the magistrates, said the bailiffs would seize "all goods on the premises which belong to the debtor".

Mrs Nelson was unaware there had been an existing bad debt against the address when she took over the premises on August 23.

She and her husband have run a business from a factory in Cornwall for seven years.

She said: "People are taking on premises, coming from outside like I have and not being able to find out if there are any outstanding debts on a property because of the Data Protection Act."

Mrs Nelson said she was warned by police not to forward any mail to the person named on the order because it would constitute harassment, even though she knew the address of the person named on the court order.

Her husband called the magistrates' court on Monday and was told they could continue to trade and the debt would be sought elsewhere.

Despite Mrs Nelson and her business being cleared of any liability, the experience in the city has left a sour taste in her mouth.

"It's outrageous that we've been put through this and that it has been supported by the police."

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove Police confirmed an officer had received a complaint from a woman in Hove that she was being telephoned and sent letters concerning the debt and felt she was being harassed.

A police spokesman said officers would look into her case.

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said bailiffs were often told documents did not relate to the occupier. As a result they would place a levy on their goods until they had proved their innocence.

They said people were not prevented from trading. If the person could prove, as Mrs Nelson had done, that they were not the debtor, the goods were not seized. All new traders are advised to contact the city council's business rates section on 01273 291981.