A couple who scooped £2.1millon on the lottery are being sued by a florist for refusing to pay a bill of £815.

Ashlie and John Chapman, who won the cash in 1998, are being taken to the small claims court by Susan Maher.

The wrangle over the flowers began last year when the couple, along with their business partner Louise Harlow, opened Cliffy's Pub, in Easington Colliery, County Durham.

Ms Maher, who owns In Bloom florist, in Easington Colliery, was asked to make artificial floral decorations and more than 30 werecreated to fill the premises.

The Chapmans ordered cream and gold flowers in the downstairs lounge, wine and pink colours in the upstairs lounge and terracotta arrangements in the concert room.

Flowers were also made to put in windows on the staircase and in the toilets, and all the displays, some more them more than two-feet high, were in place by October 15 last year for the opening night of the pub, which was formerly the Royal British Legion Club.

But, when Ms Maher sent the bill for £815, Mr and Mrs Chapman and Ms Harlow refused to pay it, claiming they had set a budget of £350 for flowers.

But, the 34-year-old florist, who opened her business seven years ago, claims Mrs Chapman, 34, ordered the flowers and at no time put a limit on how much was to be spent.

She said: "I went to the club to talk with her about what she wanted and the order was added to several times. When the flowers were delivered, there was no complaints about them."

But, she claims several days later the owners of Cliffy's said they had put a limit on and any flowers over the £350 she could have back.

Ms Maher said: "Ashlie had been a customer of mine since I opened and I actually did them cheaper because it was a bulk order."

Mr Chapman, 39, said: "It's a private matter and we don't want to comment on it. The truth will come out in court."

The case is due to be heard at Sunderland County Court on Friday, May 20.

Mr and Mrs Chapman, who have two young sons, Brett and Tyler, won the money along with Mrs Chapman's mum, Doreen Price, with numbers using family birthdays.

But, after the £2,102,691 win in November 1998, the family continued to keep their feet on the ground and bought a house in Easington.

They decided to reopen the boarded up former club premises last year to put something back into the community and named it Cliffy's Pub, after Mrs Chapman's dad, who died in 1981.