Former NFL star who took over 'one of Britain's finest pubs' finds himself locked in feud with wealthy landowner after claiming he was forced into bankruptcy because of his race

An American footballer turned English country pub owner is in a court battle with the landed gentry – after claiming he was forced into bankruptcy because he is black and from the United States.

Lorne Sam, 39, spent time with the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos in the NFL, before moving from the high-impact sport to the more upscale surroundings of the Carington Arms in Leicestershire.

According to the website, the pub is 'probably the nicest' in the province.

But rows have broken out after Mr Sam claimed he had been 'treated differently' to previous tenants of the pub because of his background.

Mr Sam became embroiled in a public feud – which has now reached the courts – with Alex Stroud, scion of the manor's historic local lords, the Smith-Carington family, and one of the trustees of the land trust that owns the pub in the village of Ashby Folville. Mr Sam said he was forced to close after a row with the owners over the interior of the historic inn.

Mr Sam became embroiled in a public feud – which has now reached the courts – with Alex Stroud, scion of the manor's historic local lords, the Smith-Carington family.

His lawyers say the fact that he is 'American and black' is at the root of the problems and allege 'racial discrimination', something Mr Stroud has vehemently denied and branded 'ridiculous'.

Mr Stroud, 54, is leading a bid by the Trustees of the Ashby Folville Land Trust (AFLT) to evict Mr Sam's company, Carington Hospitality Ltd, on the grounds that he owes £13,000 in rent arrears.

In a written defense lodged at Leicester County Court, Mr Sam's lawyer, Philip Noble, said that after his client took over the 19th century inn near Melton Mowbray, he was visited by Mr Stroud and his wife Lucy.

The lawyer said the Strouds had “informed him of how the pub's decor should be improved to their taste and how the catering could be improved to cater for their friends after shooting parties” on the estate.

Mr Noble added: 'They asked Lorne Sam to carry out other improvements to the fixtures and fittings of the property, despite such improvements not being necessary or required under the lease.

'They made it clear that they were relying on the pub to host parties after the shooting… and asked Lorne Sam to organize the kitchen to meet those demands.'

Mr Noble said his client had suggested in August that he was 'being treated differently from previous tenants and raised the possibility that that treatment may have been due to his race and colour'. But AFLT was instead “determined to exclude the defendant from the premises.”

Mr Noble told the judge that the £13,000 arrears had accrued before Mr Sam took over the business and that an agreement had been made with the liquidators that a payment of £4,961 made in February this year would cover the debts of the pub would pay off.

Mr Stroud, 54, is leading a bid by the Trustees of the Ashby Folville Land Trust (AFLT) to evict Mr Sam's company, Carington Hospitality Ltd, on the grounds that he owes £13,000 in rent arrears.

Lorne Sam, 39, spent time with the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos in the NFL, before moving from the high-impact sport to the more upmarket surroundings of the Carington Arms in Leicestershire

According to its website, the Carington Arms in Leicestershire is 'probably the nicest' in the county

Russell Davies, lawyer for the liquidators, denied that Mr Sam or his company had been treated differently. He said the Strouds regularly visited the Carington Arms as they lived nearby and were 'keen to encourage the success of the business, including the introduction of customs'. It denied 'trying to direct' Mr Sam's affairs and detailed how Mr Stroud organized and paid for the carpeting, installation of new pipework and a radiator in the pub, 'despite having to do so was not obligatory'.

Mr Davies said 'reasonable and proportionate' attempts had been made to recover unpaid rent, but Mr Sam's company had failed to adhere to an agreed repayment schedule. In emails between Mr Sam and Mr Stroud, which Mr Sam later posted on the pub's Facebook page, Mr Stroud said: 'Lucy and I were delighted from day one and we welcomed you with open arms .

“Any suggestion that you are being treated differently because of the color of your skin or your nationality is deeply offensive, deeply disturbing and ridiculous.”

The case is expected to go to full trial next year.