A blacksmith says he’s being evicted from the heritage workshop where he’s been based for more than a quarter of a century.

Allan King has run his Laxey Blacksmith company from a smithy in the goods yard at the side of the village’s tram station since 1993.

But last month, he received a letter from his landlord, the Department of Infrastructure, giving him notice to quit the premises.

Director of public estates and housing Deborah Reeve told him in the letter: ’The department requires the smithy premises for staff of the Manx Electric Railway.’

She said the notice would require him to vacate the building by May 12 this year but given the very short timescale to relocate the business, she gave Mr King an extension to November 12 as a ’gesture of goodwill’.

Mr King told the Examiner: ’I love my job. This is such a shame - it hurts.

’It feels such a personal attack, because I won’t play their games.’

The Laxey Blacksmith specialises in cast TT plaques and brass replica railway nameplates as well as forged metalwork including pokers, weather vans and intricate iron gates. It exports around the world, including Europe, Australia and America.

Mr King started out there as an agricultural blacksmith 26 years ago, saying he had a gentlemen’s agreement to rent the workshop for about £100 a month plus VAT.

In 2011, the then Department of Community, Culture and Leisure attempted to get the tenancy on a formal footing. Mr King said he would only sign a lease if roof repairs were carried out.

He said his landlord has done little maintenance on the property in 20 years.

In 2017, the landlord, by now the DoI, wrote to him again saying it wanted a formal tenancy in place.

The letter noted matters had been made ’more complex as a result of the difficult and fractious relationship’ between him and the Laxey and Lonan Heritage Trust, which is another tenant in the goods yard.

’If your tenancy is to continue it is important that matters are dealt with in a polite and professional manner.

’The department is not prepared to see unacceptable behaviour continue,’ the letter said.

Mr King accepted the situation was partly his fault, as he was not a man given to compromise.

He said the heritage trust had ’started using the yard as their own playground’ and been deliberately obstructive, parking their vehicles so that access was blocked.

The DoI and MER, too, had parked their vehicles in such a way as to make access difficult.

In September 2017, Mr King finally signed the lease but says he was given no choice and, far from giving him security of tenure, believes it was actually used as a way of getting him evicted. ’I’ve been treated shabbily,’ he said.

The DoI has offered a number of alternative premises including Whitestone Cottage in Laxey, a ground lease at the goods yard, a plot on Jurby Industrial Estate and Ronaldsway Farm Buildings at Derbyhaven.

Mr King said none of these were acceptable. Instead, after November he will continue with his casting work from his home in Ballaragh.

A DoI spokesman said: ’The space currently used by the Laxey Blacksmith is needed for MER engineering staff. The change will in turn allow a small transport museum to be opened by volunteers to support the new ’Visit Laxey Valley’ visitor attraction.

’We do understand the difficulties this causes to our tenant. We have offered alternative accommodation in Laxey and elsewhere and hope that one of these options proves suitable.’