Legal action is to be taken against the owner of Willenhall’s oldest building after he failed to pay for repairs carried out by Walsall Council.

The council carried out emergency repairs of the Bell Inn, Market Place, earlier this year and has billed the owner to the tune of £2,500.

But the money has still not be repaid after a statutory 28-days and the council has started proceedings against him, which could end up in court.

Deputy leader of Walsall Council councillor Adrian Andrew said today it was not acceptable for taxpayers to fork out for the owner’s “negligence”. He said: “We are in the process of taking debt recovery action against the land owner of the Bell Inn.

“It’s just not acceptable that the taxpayers of Walsall must pay for the negligence of one individual.” Workmen from the council had to force their way into the 350-year-old pub, which is at the centre of a high-profile campaign to restore it, after its dilapidated state became a safety hazard earlier this year, with fears it could begin to crumble.

The council carried out the works, which included securing the front-facing canopy and fixing some of the windows, as they were considered “urgently necessary” for the Grade II Listed building’s preservation.

Parts of the pub date back to the 1660s and it is one of the few surviving buildings of the Great Fire of Willenhall 1659.

It closed about three and a half years ago.

The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has also been helping with the campaign to restore the pub, by getting signatures together for a petition in favour of forcing the owner to sell the property to someone who will bring it back up to scratch.

The 1,500-strong petition was presented by Willenhall Councillor Carl Creaney at Walsall’s full council meeting in April.