YORK antiques dealer Anthony Gilberthorpe today said he would be looking to repossess his seized business.

Mr Gilberthorpe, owner of the Stonegate Antiques Centre, said he had instructed his solicitors to take action after his premises were shut down "without my knowledge".

The Evening Press revealed on New Year's Eve how police were probing the affairs of the centre.

A new antiques business is now operating on the site, after the building was seized by a creditor of Mr Gilberthorpe.

David Waggott is now running The Antiques Centre York from the premises. He claims Mr Gilberthorpe owes him more than £210,000 and that he had been granted a mortgage over the premises as security.

He claims he has repossessed the premises following a breach of the mortgage.

But Mr Gilberthorpe said his business had been closed without "an appropriate court order".

"After six-and-a-half years in business in Stonegate and without my knowledge my business was entered on December 20 and closed without an appropriate court order," Mr Gilberthorpe said in a statement.

"Accordingly I have instructed my solicitors to take action to repossess, and in doing so I have given evidence of this and other wrongdoing to both the Inland Revenue and the police.

"I do believe when they are able to investigate more closely that I will re-establish Stonegate Antiques Centre in York."

Mr Gilberthorpe, who is due to face a bankruptcy hearing at the Royal Court of Justice on February 13, did not comment on either that hearing or the police investigation.

Detectives are investigating the Stonegate Antiques Centre following complaints from traders who have had dealings with the York shop.

Today Mr Waggott's lawyer, Brian Mitchell, of Grays Solicitors, in Duncombe Place, York, said: "With this type of mortgage a lender is entitled to repossess premises without a court order. If Mr Gilberthorpe proposes to challenge this in the courts, we will defend our position vigorously. As to any other allegations Mr Gilberthorpe might be making, Mr Waggott has no idea what these might be.

"He strongly denies any wrongdoing and he will view any mischievous allegations very seriously."

Updated: 11:29 Thursday, January 02, 2003