A MONMOUTH pensioner is suing the town's council over money he claims he is owed for a Wales in Bloom entry.

However, pensioner Jack Roocroft was taken ill during a Monmouth county court hearing and it was adjourned.

The hearing, in the Old Market Hall before Deputy District Judge Colin Asbrey, will resume on July 16.

Mr Roocroft, aged 70, of Troy Way, claims that the town council owes him £4,273 for providing flowers, hanging baskets, tubs and containers for the town's entry into the 1999 Wales in Bloom competition in which Monmouth were the runners-up.

Monmouth town council says it only agreed to pay Mr Roocroft £750 for the flowers, as it was spending a similar amount on a watering system and flowers for the Shire Hall.

Mr Roocroft, one of the four trustees of the Monmouth in Bloom 2000 charity, told the court: "In the previous year, the council had made £2,500 available for flowers and I was very disappointed with the small sum but, as we were already committed to providing flowers for the town we had to go ahead with the project."

Defending the council, Cllr Charles Boase, told the court: "Becoming a runner-up in this competition was a good achievement for the town but to what cost? Many small companies are out of pocket because of the hap-hazardness of the book-keeping of Mr Roocroft, who had told the charity that he is a businessman with vast experience and therefore should have been able to produce accurate and proper accounts."

Pauline Collier, a trustee of the charity, told the court: "I was given to believe that once MIB2000 had achieved charitable status, and a reviewed report of the accounts of the charity submitted to the council, then the town council would make a further donation for other areas of the town.

"I agree that our plans were fairly ambitious, but I regret that the standard of this did not match that of our accounts, which were abysmal."

Judge Asbrey said: "It appears to me that further funding was never guaranteed by the council and that there is a wanton lack of written evidence in this case."

Mr Roocroft asked the judge for a ten-minute recess, but the pensioner was unable to return after this time to sum up his case.

The judge adjourned the hearing. .