A PUB landlord facing eviction said today he was prepared to take his case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Terry Baines vowed to fight the possession order all the way - backed by a petition being organised by angry villagers at Barlby, near Selby.

After a long-running legal battle with pub company Inntrepreneur over the terms of a new lease for the Bay Horse, Mr Baines said he and his wife, Maureen, now faced being "chucked out on the streets" penniless after 14 years at the pub.

He said: "We're devastated. Our life savings of £38,000 have gone on legal costs and we're now fighting the case on legal aid."

Carol Barr, of Acorn Close, Barlby, said villagers felt very strongly about the eviction.

She said: "Trevor and Maureen are part of our community. During the floods the pub was open 24 hours a day if we needed them."

Mr Baines won his fight against eviction at the High Court in Hull in March this year - but Inntrepreneur appealed, and the decision was overturned by another judge.

His solicitor now plans to pursue another appeal before two judges at London's Court of Appeal - and if that fails, Mr Baines says he will go the European Court of Human Rights.

Inntrepreneur today said it had been trying to negotiate with Mr Baines for a considerable number of years, but had been unable to agree terms for a new lease.

Company spokesman Colin Redford said it had recently been granted a possession order by the High Court.

And now that Mr Baines had lost his appeal, it would now be seeking permission to enforce the order.

Mr Baines, 61, said the legal battle had been going on for almost ten years after he declined to sign a new lease which would have increased his rent from £7,200 to £21,000.

Inntrepreneur says the increase was proposed to reflect a lengthy gap in reviewing the terms of Mr Baines' lease.

Mr Baines said that Inntrepreneur had based its eviction case on him failing to buy his "minimum purchasing requirement" of cider for two years of his lease between 1987 and 1989 - despite the fact that the "tie" on cider was declared illegal in 1990.

A company spokesman said the cider issue was considered by the appeal, which had found in Inntrepreneur's favour.

Mrs Baines, 62, said: "We could be evicted within days with nothing but a caravan to live in. This is not justice."

Updated: 16:27 Wednesday, July 25, 2001