A village publican today threatened to shut up shop and move out after his business rates more than doubled.

Charles and Kim Scicluna, who run the Sun Inn at Feering are fighting the business rates rise which has seen their bill go up from £3,831 in 1998 to £9,250 this year.

Charles was informed of the rise at the end of 1998 following a visit from a valuation officer and told it was mainly due to the kitchen upgrade which took place in 1996.

The pub has gone from strength to strength since it reopened in 1992 and has been praised by many organisations including Camra, Which? and the AA. It currently employs 15 people.

"One of the pubs in the village has recently closed down and we are in the frame of mind to do the same thing," said Charles.

"How they can justify a tax rise of two and a half times is beyond me. We are not being allowed to make a living and feel like packing it in."

To date more than £100,000 has been spent on the freehouse but turnover, which increased by 77 per cent in 1994 and 31 per cent in 1995, was only up by 3.6 per cent in 1998.

"When we first came here it was boarded up and near derelict - the wiring was a death trap, the two chimneys leaked smoke into the building and every roof valley leaked," he said.

Now the pub is an asset to the village but one which could be boarded up again.

"We would be sad to move out but it seems the authorities are hell bent on ripping the hearts out of rural villages by making it impossible for businesses like us to trade," said Charles.

A spokeswoman for the Valuation Office said the rise had been due to physical improvements to the pub which had created an upturn in trade.

She added if the owners brought forward new information to the office - which operates separately from local authorities - this figure could be reduced.

"If they cannot come to an agreement with us, we can also pass the information to an independent tribunal which will make a decision on the rateable value."

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