the wages they were owed when the owner closed without notice, the Liquor Licensing Authority was told yesterday.

Mr. Graham Hodge, who was assistant manager at Prego on Reid Street until it closed on February 8, claimed owner Mr. Canard Pascoe owes him $8,000 in back wages, vacation and severance pay.

A waiter, cashier, and part-time staff were also left "high and dry,'' Mr.

Hodge said.

Mr. Pascoe could not be reached for comment yesterday. Mr. Hodge said he believed he was off the Island. The telephone at Prego was not in service.

Mr. Hodge, a 29-year-old Englishman who worked at Prego for four years, said he only appeared before the Authority to assure any new liquor licence was not registered in his name, which was used in the public notice for the application.

Authority chairman the Wor. Will Francis said an application was approved for Prego to close from February 9 to March 1, but there was apparently no approval for the restaurant to be closed beyond that date.

If what Mr. Hodge said was true, "strictly speaking, (the owner is) in breach of the law,'' Mr. Francis said.

In light of Mr. Hodge's comments, no licence renewal was approved yesterday.

Outside court, Mr. Hodge told of working without pay and struggling to keep the restaurant afloat after receiving promises from Mr. Pascoe that accounts would be settled in February.

He was due to meet with Mr. Pascoe about remuneration the day the restaurant was closed, he said.

"Now he won't contact me whatsoever,'' he said. "I can't find anything out.'' A few weeks ago, Mr. Hodge noticed a newspaper advertisement seeking applications for a manager and head chef at Prego.

"As far as we can gather, he's going to just open up with new staff, and leave us high and dry,'' Mr. Hodge said.