Gosport Borough chairman speaks out over HMRC winding-up petition

A notice of the HMRC issued petition appeared in The Gazette on Monday.

But its chairman Mark Hook, also leader of Gosport Borough Council, had refused to comment on the situation.

In an interview with BBC Radio Solent, Mr Hook said: 'It's very frustrating because the taxman issued us with a high court writ for tax which was due on the September 19 and they issued the writ on October 6, so 17 days and we have a high court writ.

'I can assure everyone that everything's been paid off and that will be thrown out.

'It's all paid off, it's business as usual.'

Amid talk about manager Alex Pike being linked with the vacancy at AFC Totton, Mr Hook told the BBC: 'We get used to the speculation every time there's a vacancy in the local area, Alex's name is linked with it.

'We take that as a compliment to the club, everyone knows he's probably the best non-league manager around the south.'

Asked on the air if he was in talks with a consortium over a takeover, he said: 'Not this week but we might next week, watch this space as they say.'

He added: 'There's no one person bigger than the club.'

It comes after another winding-up order was issued by HMRC this summer.

That was thrown out as the club had paid its bill.