New Forest butcher Neville Hallis, who shut his Lyndhurst shop after taking Christmas money, pledges to pay back customers

A NEW Forest butcher who shut his shop taking hundreds of pounds of customers’ money for turkeys and Christmas orders has now promised to pay back the cash.

As reported in the A&T, Neville Hallis suddenly closed the New Forest Butcher on Lyndhurst High Street on 13th December, putting up a notice in the window blaming energy bills and slow custom, and adding it “could not honour” its commitment to customers who had paid deposits.

But now Mr Hallis put up a hand-written note saying “all deposits will be returned to customers”.

The site’s landlord Keith Burgoyne has flown back from Thailand – where he lives for part of the year – “to sort the mess out”.

He said: ”Nev has told me he will repay customers’ deposits, and I hope he stands by that and does the right thing by them.

“I am very upset about the damage done to the reputation of what has always been one of the finest butchers in the New Forest.

“It was called Burgoyne’s when I ran it for about 40 years. Nev took over about a year ago when the previous butcher retired.

“I have spoken to Nev on the phone recently and knew his electricity had been cut off, and advised him to get generators in so he could keep the shop going for Christmas.

“The next thing, someone rang me to tell me the shop had closed it down. It is very disappointing.”

Mr Hallis, who lives in Blackfield, stood as a Conservative party candidate in the Fawley (Holbury Ward) parish council elections this year – polling 10% of the vote with just 264 backers.

Members of Lyndhurst’s Non Descript Club say they last saw Mr Hallis, who is a club member, the day before he closed the shop.

Mr Hallis has been supplying the club all year with meat vouchers for their weekly raffle.

Many members, such as pensioner Tony Herbert (80) a retired engineer, had saved up the vouchers to spend at Christmas.

He said: “I had £230 in all, and gave Nev £120 in vouchers for a turkey which I give to a young family who could not afford one otherwise.

“I did not want to let them down so after he closed down I spent £100 on another one. It was a bit of struggle to find one, let alone pay for it again.

“I’d like a few words with Nev, to be honest, but he has not been in here since he shut the shop – he’s too ashamed to show his face in here I think as there were lots of people like me who were relying on the vouchers for Christmas.”

Mr Herbert added: “He boasts on his website about being a master butcher but to be honest after he took over all he filled the shop window with was scotch eggs and pies. I think he’s been a very naughty boy.”

At the Stag Hotel customers of Mr Hallis who had lost deposits were invited to buy meat from its butchers at wholesale prices.

Landlord Steve Harris said nearly 90 people had been helped by the pub including a pensioner living in sheltered accommodation in the village.

He said: “In Nev’s defence he did try to keep things going by getting generators in, but it just did not work out and he had to shut.

“I know he was struggling with energy costs. I think people have just been left very disappointed by the way it has been managed.

“He should not have continued to take people’s moneys if he thought he might have to close.”

Customer Mike Hickling turned up last Friday to collect a capon and leg of pork for which he had paid £40. He was stunned to see it was shut: “My wife did not want me to order from here in the first place.

“Now I’ve got to tell her we haven’t got anything for Christmas! She’s going to go mad.”

A spokesperson for Hampshire police said they had received “no complaints of fraud” in relation to Mr Hallis’ business.

The A&T has tried to contact Mr Hallis for comment. His landlady at his Blackfield home said he was “out” and she did not know when he would return.