THE Earl of Cardigan is being sued for more than £27,700 by the barrister who helped him temporarily halt the sale of family portraits in 2011.

In papers filed with Swindon County Court, London lawyer Henry Hendron claims he has never been paid for his work for David Brudenell-Bruce, 67, who lives near Marlborough and holds the hereditary title Warden of Savernake Forest.

In July 2011, the barrister managed to secure a last minute injunction stopping the sale of eight paintings at Sotheby’s auctioneers the following day. The Savernake estate’s trustees had planned to sell the artworks in order to raise funds as the earl’s account was £2m overdrawn.

Appeal court judge Lord Justice Hughes refused to renew the injunction a week later, branding the legal battle between the earl and his trustees “a sad state of affairs for a very distinguished family”.

A month later, the courts made an order temporarily preventing the earl from selling estate property.

The trustees complained he had tried to sell estate silverware under a number of pseudonyms.

It was during this High Court hearing that Mr Hendron described his client as down and out, saying he had no money and needed to raise money or go hungry.

The comments were later dismissed by the earl, who told reporters: “I am not down and out.”

In April 2012, a final High Court hearing ruled against the earl. Mr Justice Newry said the paintings were held by the trustees and not the peer.

Now, Mr Hendron has filed papers at Swindon County Court suing the Earl of Cardigan for £27,720, which he claims are the legal fees he is owed.

He says he was contacted in the first week of July 2011 by debt adviser David Bloom, who was working for the peer, setting out his client’s dispute with trustees over the paintings up for auction.

At a meeting at Lord Cardigan’s lodge in Savernake Forest a couple of days later, Mr Hendron claims the peer told him he had no money “to eat, let alone pay legal bills.” They agreed legal costs would be payable at the conclusion of the court case.

The case ended in April 2012 when the earl lost his High Court battle.

But Mr Hendron says he has still not been paid.

Sitting at Swindon County Court last month, District Judge Peter Hatvany set the matter down for a one day hearing on a date to be fixed.

The hearing is expected to take place over the summer. The earl was not represented.