Morrells remained tight lipped today after damning claims that the brewery business is being "needlessly destroyed".

Margie Eld, the grand old lady of the Morrells family, savaged those now in control, after quitting the board yesterday after 54 years.

Mrs Eld, 76, warned that the company's assets were to be sold off, causing mass redundancies.

After staging a dramatic walk-out at a board meeting, she said: "I am resigning because I am not prepared to be involved with the needless destruction of a sound family business.

"I wish to disassociate myself from what I have no doubt is the intention to close the brewery."

But the brewery declined to comment on the damaging departure of Mrs Eld, whose father and brother both headed the firm. Her son, Charles Eld, was recently sacked as chief executive and escorted from the building after a boardroom bust-up about the company's future.

A company spokesman said she had no wish to add to last week's statement, promising to end speculation about the brewery's future for tenants and employees by mid-July.

Many tenants fear that Morrells is ready to sell off its 130 pubs and the ancient brewery in St Thomas' Street for development.

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