Anger at Liverpool owners' order

Liverpool FC's American owners have been accused of "outrageous" behaviour after they thwarted High Court orders allowing the club to be sold.

Mr Justice Floyd had given a ruling in London on Wednesday that meant the English directors of Liverpool could agree a £300 million takeover by John W Henry's New England Sport Group.

But before the board could make any decision, Tom Hicks, one of the American owners, secured a temporary restraining order from a Texas court.

Mr Justice Floyd had totally rejected attempts by Mr Hicks and George Gillett to stand in the way of the sale in a ruling which should have left them helpless to intervene.

Both the Liverpool board and NESV believed a deal could be reached on Wednesday night, but the last-ditch intervention by the American owners meant more court action was necessary.

The Royal Bank of Scotland, the club's main creditor, had won the injunctions that would have meant they would be paid back a £200 million loan which becomes due for settlement on Friday.

RBS returned to the High Court seeking anti-suit injunctions to nullify decisions taken in the court in Dallas.

Richard Snowden QC, for the bank, said there were no legal representatives for Hicks and Gillett in court although they had been informed of the latest move. Mr Snowden said they had been forced to act because of "extraordinary events" following the High Court ruling.

He said the American owners had complied with the orders to restore the original directors of the Liverpool board but at the same time had launched a US action. He said the US court had also allowed an injunction to stop RBS exercising its right to recall its loan.

"This is the most outrageous abuse of process," he said.