THE owners of Pembroke Bay Kiosk told the Royal Court yesterday that the States had tried to bully them out of business.

Gary and Lynn de Carteret are contesting an action brought by Treasury and Resources to evict them.

Mrs de Carteret (pictured) told the court how she and her husband had used some of their pension fund to buy the kiosk in 1995, which they looked on as an investment for life. They paid rent to the L’Ancresse Commons Council until 2002, when it was discovered that the land had been ceded to the States by an Order of Council in 1965.

Mrs de Carteret said some letters that she and her husband had received from the States over the years amounted to harassment.

In 2002, they received one from then Board of Administration president Roger Berry saying the neighbouring Sablon d’Or [now The Mirage] was being redeveloped and that the board did not consider there was need for an additional kiosk.

For Treasury, Crown Advocate Philip Nicol-Gent said the letter had also said that the States had a responsibility to ensure that all business run on States land was on a fair and equitable basis.

A decision on whether or not the de Carterets have a 21-year lease is expected today.