The landlord and landlady of the Generous Pioneer pub in Burley-in-Wharfedale have been sacked after less than a year in the job.

The shock decision means that Brian and Ali Wiley will be homeless in four weeks' time. They have also had to cancel a planned Spanish holiday, costing them £1,500.

The Generous Pioneer was opened last July and is owned by the Midlands-based firm Tom Cobleigh plc.

Mr Wiley said the company's operations manager gave them the shock news in the middle of the pub with customers looking on.

He said the only reason they were given for the dismissal was that the firm was changing the image of the family eating pub to attract a younger clientele with live music and discos.

But Mr Wiley said the pub was taking £28,000 a week and he and his wife had won over villagers in Burley who initially did not want the public house situated on the bypass.

In a statement Tom Cobleigh confirmed the couple had been given notice. "However, any discussions between the company and its employees are confidential and the company does not wish to make any further comment," the statement said.

The couple, who have been in the licensed trade for 28 years and moved from a pub near Selby to take over the Generous Pioneer, cancelled their holiday in Spain so they could take legal advice to fight the sacking and make arrangements about where they would live.

But Mr Wiley said that some avenues of legal redress for the abrupt termination of his employment were not open to the couple because they had not been with the firm long enough.

When managers called for a meeting last week, Mr Wiley said he expected to be told of minor changes at head office.

"They said the company was changing and they didn't think we were part of it - it really stinks," said Mr Wiley.

"It is not just the job it is our home. We planned to make it a permanent thing - we love the area and the people. I am almost 50 and we have nowhere to go when we have finished.

"I don't know why it has happened. No reasons were given whatsoever and we have had no problem at all."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.