Hicks and Gillett hit over £1bn damages

Liverpool's American former co-owners have failed to overturn a London High Court order preventing them pursuing damages through US courts over last year's sale of the club.

The judge ruled yesterday that, while former partners Tom Hicks and George Gillett can file lawsuits seeking information in American courts, they must ask permission from a UK judge to file any damage claims in their own country.

Hicks and Gillett pledged last year to use all legal means to secure damages of at least $1.6bn (£1bn) over the sale of the club to John W Henry's New England Sports Ventures for £300m. The former owners called the deal "illegal" and "an extraordinary swindle" but the board went ahead with the sale last October.