The founder of a Norfolk auction house has admitted that the business is unlikely to reopen after closing just three months in the trade.

The Wymondham Salerooms opened near the town in February, but shut in May after its owner announced that the company's auctioneering operations were being sold. Officials said the company would be moving to larger premises in the Wymondham and Attleborough area within a few weeks.

However, months after the closure of the business at the Great Expectations Business Park at Suton, there has been no sign of the salerooms relocating.

Matt Wilkins, who set up Wymondham Salerooms, said it was difficult to see the business reopening in the near future.

'It is an issue about time and investment and was linked with other things. It has taken an awful long time and there has been an issue with the premises and everything has conspired against us.'

'I think the upshot is that it is on hold indefinitely. It is not looking likely that anything will happen, certainly not this year, and going further the economic climate is disastrous. Obviously it was good fun while it lasted,' he said.

Since the weekly Wednesday sale at Suton was launched, the auction business had grown to 900 members and organisers had pledged to give 10pc of its profits away to charity.

Mr Wilkins added: 'It is a difficult market to break into and the opposition did not give us much of a break. It was extremely tough to start it. It was more of a hobby and a bit of fun.'

However, a number of former salerooms customers have contacted the Evening News saying that they are still owed money.

Paul Plater, who runs a company that sets up auction house websites in Kent, said he was still owed �1,500 for establishing the Wymondham Salerooms website.

'I put the system in and negotiated a price and he was fairly happy with it, but I have not had a penny from them,' he said.

Susan Newby, of Attleborough, added that she was considering taking legal action after being told the sale of a number of household items had made her almost �150.

'I have received nothing and I have sent lots of emails and have had no response whatsoever. We were moving house and wanted to get rid of a load of stuff and some was sentimental and took courage to sell it,' she said.

Sally Tucker, of Kirby Bedon, near Norwich, added that she had placed three brass elephants into an auction in May, but had not received any money or had her property returned.

But Mr Wilkins said that he was not aware of any outstanding debts or complaints and would investigate the matter.

'We have been very scrupulous about it and everything tallied up at the end. Everything was done by bank transfer and we had no end of issues with people giving us the wrong numbers,' he said.