A number of licensees have voiced their anger over an advertising scam that saw many pubs pay hundreds of pounds for adverts in nonexistent publications.
Following the complaints, six publishing firms will arrive in court to hear the petition presented by Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform calling for their closure.
The Morning Advertiser (MA) has revealed some of the complaints aired by licensees.
Louise Hale told the MA that she had paid an agreed £100 to publishing firm Push
Solutions but the company then took £1,200 out of her account nearly a year later.
"They were saying there was a charitable institute that they would donate the money to if we placed an advert," said Ms Hale, the Enterprise Inns lessee of the Princes Feathers in Cheshire.
Push Solutions was at the High Court this week to hear the petition against them while Regent House, another firm involved, is due at the court later this month.
Recently the European Parliament saw a petition raised over a similar advertising scam where businesses across Europe were being tricked into signing up for advertising in a business directory and ordered to pay huge fees without the opportunity to cancel the contract.
