DOCTORS’ surgery staff were left operating from car boots opposite their Merseyside practice after being locked out in a row over unpaid rent.

The landlord of West Kirby’s Sandstone Medical Centre last night agreed it was a “wholly unacceptable scenario for the patients” – but claimed he was left with no choice.

The practice was set up at the Banks Road premises two years ago. It has three doctors, four nurses and serves around 4,000 patients.

But those arriving for appointments yesterday found the building shut and staff across the road in cars intercepting them to arrange alternative appointments or advise them to go to the GP out-of-hours service if they needed emergency treatment.

Surgery staff were handing out letters to patients which said their landlord Wayne Roberts had “attempted to force us in a new tenancy agreement demanding 2.6 times the rent we currently pay”.

The letter claimed: “He has now, in our legal advisor’s opinion, unlawfully taken possession of the building and is denying us access to the property.”

The surgery insisted patients would receive the care they need and the practice will continue, although it is understood it will be at a new location in West Kirby.

Mr Roberts shut staff out of the building on Friday night, effectively repossessing the surgery.