A FORMER cafe manager at a youth centre in Ringwood plans to take the town council to court for claimed losses of £3,000.

Antony Lewis said he was initially "coerced" into running the cafe at The Place - the £540,000 hub that opened nearly a year ago (FEB 2016) offering community youth facilities - on a three month rolling contract in October.

But Mr Lewis was dismissed just seven days into the contract, he claims, after a member of staff at the council filed a complaint against him.

It was claimed that Mr Lewis had made a comment about her on Facebook. She subsequently was signed off with work-related stress stating she was unable to work with Mr Lewis.

However Mr Lewis said that the Facebook post was not directed at the council worker and the situation was not fully investigated by the council.

He announced his plans to sue the council for loss of earnings of £50 a day for the months of November and December at the Full Town Council meeting on Wednesday (JAN 25).

Mr Lewis said at the meeting: "I believe I was led down the garden path in being asked to take the cafe on."

Mr Lewis claimed an offer made of £150 by the council to cover some of his purchases was "insulting".

"Also in this letter was a threat stating if I did not accept this offer then I would be charged for accused damage of The Place equipment," he added.

"In my view this was a hoax claim to try and scare me off and threatening me into not taking this atrocious behaviour by the council further.

"The actions of the council are unfair and immoral and I will not let this go until it's resolved."

Councillor Jeremy Heron, chairman of the policy and finance committee which has dealt with Mr Lewis's claims so far, said after the meeting: “A decision on Mr Lewis’s claim for losses was taken by the policy and finance committee on January 18. Mr Lewis’s subsequent letter threatening legal action was received after the Full Council agenda had been published. I discussed this with the town clerk and it was felt that the only opportunity to make a formal decision would be to include an item on the agenda for the next policy and finance committee scheduled for February 15, when members will be able to consider all the facts.”