THE businessman behind an ambitious scheme to build a country house hotel at Middlebrook has sold his Bolton mobile phone business.

Shabbir Khilji has sold Faircom to onestopmobileshop — a firm based in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

Customers waiting for payouts due under a rebate scheme have been told they will receive payments from the new owners.

Mr Khilji said that he decided to sell the company due to a combination of family circumstances and pressing business projects, which meant that he could not operate the business as he wanted.