TWENTY-FIVE jobs in central Farnham have been lost after Petit Delice closed suddenly after owners of the building served the café with two weeks' notice.

Surprised shoppers in the Borough read a note in the café's window explaining that the closure arose after the chain announced it was going into liquidation.

Manager David Pearce claimed there had been a "betrayal of trust" by Petit Delice, which he said had offered to sell him the Farnham business after his arrival three years ago.

The deal failed to materialise, leaving him without a formal lease agreement on the building and a sense of having been strung along.

As the company's liquidation breached the terms of the freehold on the property, the owners, Guildford firm St Pierre, abruptly told them they had two weeks to vacate the premises.

A dismayed Mr Pearce said: "We have lost our business and have to move out of our flat that we have had for the last three-and-a-half years. Twenty-five members of staff are also being put out of work, leaving Farnham without one of its most popular cafés.

"We have never had any problems in recruiting our staff, many of whom were from other nationalities. We really looked after them and they were like family to us."

He added that since he came to café, business had increased almost 200 per cent under the management of himself and his partner Pilar.

Though it produced a significant turnover, he revealed the café was not making considerable profit. In order to do this, they were planning to apply for evening opening and extension of their kitchen area.

But due to a lack of response from Petit Delice regarding the sale of the freehold, they had been unable to make these investments.

Mr Pearce added: "I do not think there is anywhere else in Farnham we could go, but we are going to try to find something. Our customers have been so supportive and we are sorry that we could not stop this happening."

Susana Del-Olmo, who was hired two months ago to help run the thriving café, was equally saddened at the news.

She said: "I felt very comfortable here as I got on with all the people - and now it is closing, it seems like a bad dream."

According to Mr Pearce, his solicitors have been notified that the owners of the building wish to re-let the property at a higher rent.

St Pierre were approached, but declined to comment.

l Another popular venue in Farnham, the Duke of Cambridge pub in East Street has also closed suddenly. It is being refurbished as a Thai Restaurant.