A coffee shop owner felt “humiliated and sick” when a bailiff turned up claiming she was in thousands of pounds of debt.

Helen Michael, who owns Cafe Buzz, in High Street, North Finchley, was serving customers when the debt collector arrived yesterday.

He said he had been sent by Barnet Borough Council’s contractors Capita and that she owed £2,800 in business rates.

Ms Michael fell into arrears in March 2013 but she thought she had made an agreement with the authority to clear the outstanding balance weekly.

She was just one month away from clearing the sum when she received a letter on Friday, September 5 advising her bailiffs would be visiting her shop on Monday.

The council, however, says there was no agreement and that it has been in contact with Ms Michael for a year.

She said: “The bailiff marched in here and it felt very aggressive.

“Every time I tried to talk to him he kept interrupting me and telling me I was lying.

“All this was in front of customers and I just felt completely humiliated. My throat ended up in my stomach.”

In June 2014, the authority sent her a letter advising her she owed money, and that a court had ordered her to clear her outstanding debt of £8,114 in August 2013.

However, Ms Michael claimed she had not been summonsed to court and had no idea there was a liability order against her.

She asked the bailiff for proof she owes the money, and after reading from his iPad he then told her the sum she actually owed was £1,800.

He was unable to provide documentation proving this so she contacted Barnet Borough Council who confirmed her outstanding debt was in fact £800, plus £500 costs for the bailiff fees.

When Ms Michael tried to steer him away from the front of the shop, he entered the kitchen and police were called to remove him from the area for trespassing.

Eventually, he began unplugging the coffee machine despite Ms Michael’s pleas to choose another item to remove.

After two hours, a customer who was having breakfast stepped in and offered to clear the whole debt.

Last year, Ms Michael was attacked by disgraced former councillor Brian Coleman, which eventually caused him to be expelled from the Conservative Party, and the customer said she wanted to "thank her for helping get rid of him".

Ms Michael added: “I would have struggled to pay it myself and I am so, so grateful to her for helping me that way.

“I felt sick. I didn’t understand why they couldn’t give me documentation. I had no idea this was going on behind the scenes and I felt powerless to stop it. It’s the injustice of it all.

“Cost wise, it was so disproportionate. I've never missed a payment and would never ignore anything from the court, I'm gobsmacked. I just feel so angry and upset.”

Barnet Borough Council's business rates department said her initial bill was sent in March 2013, and reminders were sent in April, June and July of 2013.

In August 2013, she wrote to them offering a monthly payment plan but the council rejected it, saying it was not acceptable.

Later that month, the Magistrates' Court granted the order for £8,114. Ms Michael increased her payments and a liability order was issued.

The statement added: "After several missed payments the council handed the matter to its enforcement agents, Equita.

"On August 8, 2014 Equita issued Ms Michael with a letter of enforcement for £2,032.50 plus a compliance fee of £75.00."