A BEWDLEY businessman whose gallery and framing firms have been badly hit by flooding chaos is facing having to lay off at least one member of his small staff.

Wyre Forest District Council last week obtained a court order forcing Mark Leadbetter to pay full business rates even though his Severnside North businesses had suffered a 75 per cent drop in trade since floods last November.

Mr Leadbetter, who runs Frames by Design and Severnside Gallery, hopes to agree a reduction of his firms' rateable value and a 50 per cent decrease in business rates with a Government valuer next week.

But he was due to hand the full amount over to the council yesterday following the court action, even though he will be eligible for a rebate once the paperwork from the valuer comes through.

In the meantime he says he will have to temporarily lay off one of his three staff to enable him to get the money to the council.

Mr Leadbetter said: "I've got to pay because I don't want the bailiffs coming in as that will be bad for business. I can't find the money from thin air."

The council's head of financial services, Keith Bannister, last week said he had sympathy with Mr Leadbetter but was obliged to collect the money on behalf of the valuation office.