MAGISTRATES issued a warrant for bailiffs to enter a pub and disconnect its electricity supply after bills were left unpaid.

Weymouth magistrates heard Sheila Head and her husband, who run the New Inn at West Knighton, have failed to pay outstanding bills of almost £9,000.

Mark Hallam, on behalf of Powergen, successfully applied for a warrant to enter the property on July 12 and disconnect its supply on behalf of the company.

The court heard the publicans owed Powergen £6,774.42 and another £2,197.06 to Economy Power, coming to an unpaid total of £8,971.48.

Magistrates were told a payment of £1,000 off the original total of £9,971.48 was paid by the couple in April.

Mrs Head, representing herself, said she and her husband were close to completing a deal to sell the premises.

She said: "The buyers have put their kids into school and started decorating the upstairs."

Mrs Head said her mother-in-law had offered to pay £3,000 of the outstanding bill but she and her husband had been reluctant to accept the offer.

Mr Hallam said Powergen was content to only pursue the outstanding £6,774.42 while continuing to look into issues surrounding the balance of the couple's Economy Power account.

Mr Hallam also said the couple's domestic and commercial usage were on the same bill and that the premises used an average of £500-worth of electricity every month.

Mrs Head said: "If we can just have until the middle of August, the outstanding electricity bill will be paid in full.

"If the worst comes to the worst I will borrow the £3,000 off my mother-in-law."

Magistrates chairman Pam Homer granted the application for a warrant to enter the pub.

But she added: "Mr Hallam, we realise we have no further jurisdiction in this matter but we would hope that if Powergen could accept that £3,000 by July 12 that negotiations could take place to allow Mrs Head to complete the sale of the premises."

Mrs Homer added that she hoped Mr Hallam would pass that message on to officials at Powergen.