Severn Trent today accused bosses at a Shropshire nightclub of removing its meter and connecting directly to the mains water supply.

Water to The Buttermarket in Howard Street, Shrewsbury, has now been cut off for the second time in five months following a row over a previous unpaid bill of £23,000.

But a spokesman for the club today said he was not sure if the water meter had been bypassed.

He said that if it had happened the venue would not have opened for business without it being properly connected.

He said the water had been turned off anyway as the club was undergoing a £100,000 revamp, including installing new toilets in the cellars. But Environmental Health officers have warned the club it cannot trade because the water had been cut off for “health and safety reasons”.

A spokeswoman for Severn Trent said the water meter work had been carried out without prior approval and claimed it was not done by an authorised plumber.

She said: “Unfortunately, the Buttermarket nightclub has a poor payment record and we have had a number of problems recovering monies owed to us.

“In spite of our efforts to work with the customer to resolve the issues and arrive at a workable, affordable payment plan, we continue to experience difficulties, and the payment for the latest bill is still outstanding.

“An additional concern is the fact that the meter that serves the premises has been removed along with the stop tap, and internal water pipework has been connected directly to our network.”

The Buttermarket said it was likely to remain shut for three weeks while refurbishment work was carried out.

The spokesman said bosses would be speaking with Severn Trent and claimed the club had concerns about the amount they were being charged.

Gareth Proffitt, a spokesman for Shropshire Council, said: “We are working closely with them to resolve these issues.”

The Buttermarket had its water supply cut off on March 27 following the row over a bill. It reopened on April 10 after the Consumer Council for Water managed to halve the size of the bill following negotiations with Severn Trent.

By Russell Roberts