OXFORD estate agent James Penny has relaunched himself in new offices, aiming for a 'fresh start' after breaking from his former business partners.

Mr Penny was a minority shareholder in James C Penny, of Walton Street, owned by Israr and Zulfiqar Hussain, which was liquidated in February owing £400,000, and was reborn under a slightly different name.

The Oxford Times also revealed how landlord Dr Andrew Fry was forced to take out a county court order against Cowley-based Charles Lawson (Lettings), of which Zulfiqar Hussain is a director, for non-payment of rent.

Mr Penny said: "I have separated myself from the Hussain brothers, and I have set up my own business. I have extricated myself from them completely and the only contact will be through solicitors.

"As a result of the articles in The Oxford Times, I didn't want anything more to do with them and I am now trying to have a fresh start."

Debts at James C Penny included £177,000 in unpaid PAYE taxes and VAT. The main creditor was Istikhar Hussain, who was owed £299,875.

He was the only director who remained on the register at Companies House. The other directors, Zulfiqar and Israr Hussain, resigned before the company was liquidated.

Mr Penny said he had disagreed with the directors about the running of the company. "I was not a director of the company, so I had no real clout."

Now he has put up his own money to go into partnership with lettings manager Wendy Sinclair in the former office of Savills in Banbury Road, Summertown. He is pleased to have found a prime location, with other agents nearby.

"The property market is not so bad in North Oxford and we have had a lot of support from well-wishers in the North Oxford community — people who are pleased that we have extricated ourselves from the Hussains and are moving on.” Neither Israr or Zulfiqar Hussain were available for comment.

Meanwhile, other Oxford agents have reorganised themselves, with Cluttons vacating its city centre offices to merge with James Styles & Whitlock.

The James Styles & Whitlock office in King Edward Street will close, with the seven staff moving to Cluttons’ office in Seacourt Tower, Botley, trading as Cluttons Styles & Whitlock.

Cluttons has sold its lettings agency to Breckon & Breckon, which will take on the remaining two Cluttons lettings staff and move from Hollybush Row to Cluttons’s office off Beaumont Street.