Pub staff and suppliers have been left fuming after a pub landlady and her daughter vanished owing them thousands.

Bar and kitchen staff at Headley Hills, a 17th century coaching inn in Church Lane, Headley, along with food and drink suppliers for the pub have spoken about their anger and frustration at being left in the lurch by Susan and Isabella Stevenson.

The pair surrendered the pub lease at the start of February but Simon Tildesley, the former head chef, said he is still owed more than £1,000 and about eight other staff members were also left out of pocket.

Some have had to go home to Romania because they have no money, while suppliers are trying to trace the Stevensons in a bid to get back the money they are owed.

UPDATE: Headed for the hills? More complaints about missing pub landlady and daughter

A new owner, Red Mist Leisure plans to reopen the pub, renamed the Cock Inn, this month after a £450,000 refurbishment, and has promised to do what it can to help the pub's staff.

Surrey Comet:

Mr Tildesley said: "It was hard. All of a sudden I didn’t have any money and I still needed to pay bills and rent and buy food and clothes for my son."

He added: "You would have thought you would have the decency to pay staff what they are owed."

He has since found another job in Cobham while three kitchen workers had to return to Romania, a chef is still looking for work and another employee is visiting family abroad.

Before the sudden sale, he said: "I had suspicions but each time I confronted them, they said nothing was happening."

Ian, the owner of Swift Drinks, said he feels a "bit angry and out of pocket" because the company is still owed £3,500. He believes the mother is now in Spain.

He said: "They have been customers of mine for years and friends. We used to socialise. She was quite involved in the racing community at Epsom.

"We helped them out over Christmas...and this is how we are repaid."

Steven Luff, from Ye Village Butchers in Walton-on-the-Hill, said the pub had bounced cheques for a two-week supply of meat including sausages, roasting joints and steaks.

Mr Luff said: "They left us with quite a large meat bill unpaid. The first week or so, you felt like someone had robbed you really. It’s very frustrating."

He said he has contacted a fraud reporting centre affiliated with the police, adding: "It’s a whole group of us really."

Tim Lucas, managing director at Simson’s Fisheries in Coulsdon, said the pub cancelled a £359 cheque for fish delivered at the end of January.

Surrey Comet:

Mr Lucas said: "We feel aggrieved. We have supplied them for a long time. We have supported them by letting them have credit on a weekly basis when they bounced cheques on us.

"If and when we find where they are we will pursue the money."

Mark Robson, managing director of Red Mist Leisure said the previous lease was surrendered and they took a new lease from the freeholder on Monday, February 2.

He said: "It was on the Tuesday when a lot of staff came into work that we started to find things out. They felt out of pocket." He said it was "regrettable" that staff had been left in this way, but promised to do everything they can to give them work at the pub when it reopens for business.

Of taking over the pub, he said: "We are delighted. There’s some regrettable circumstances, but we love taking on pubs that have got a bit of a battered past and bringing them back to good quality eating and drinking pubs and giving them a new lease of life."

Councillor David Preedy, who represents Box Hill and Headley on Mole Valley Council, said it was a great shame that former staff have not been paid what they are due.

But he said: "We are hoping to turn a new leaf with the new owners of whom we have heard nothing but good news."

After a £450,000 refurbishment will end with an invitation-only grand reopening on Wednesday, March 18.

The pub will open for business again at 11.30am the next day.

The Cock Inn; Church Lane, Headley; call 01932 346904; visit cockinnheadley.co.uk

Do you know where the Stevensons are? Contact Alice Foster on alice.foster@london.newsquest.co.uk