A farmer's son who claims he was promised the family's farm by his father is suing his sisters in a bid to claim the entire £5million business for himself.

Michael Spencer, 62, is locked into a court battle with his sisters Jane Flower, 65, and Penelope Spencer, 63, over claims he is entitled to the 405-acre Lincolnshire estate after having worked on it for as little as £30-a-week from a young age.

At the High Court, Michael is now seeking to block his older sisters from claiming their share of the family land that his father John put into a trust before he died.

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His two sisters claim their father did not intend the land to go solely to Michael - who had already received £2.2million of inheritance - but instead wanted the whole family to benefit.

They say Michael had received a 'slew of benefits' - including a £745,000 pension and assets worth nearly £1.5m - from a business that was effectively 'donated' to him.

Michael Spencer, 62, is suing his sisters Jane Flower, 65, and Penelope Spencer, 63, over claims he was promised the family's Lincolnshire farm.

High Court judge Mr Justice Rajah heard their father, John Spencer, had farmed in Lincolnshire since the 1960s, first at Grange Farm, North Witham, as a tenant of the Buckminster Estate.

He also inherited 59 acres from his own father in 1975, as well as accumulating other small parcels before purchasing 300 acres at Glebe Farm, Stainby, and Bourne Road, Colsterworth, in 1982.

From 1983, he farmed in partnership with his son, daughter Penelope and wife Jean, before Michael was made a 95% stakeholder in 1996.

Michael later succeeded to the whole of the partnership business following his father's death, including cash and other liquid assets worth nearly £1.5m.

He had previously taken over the tenancy of the 411-acre Grange Farm on his father's recommendation.

But in addition to receiving that, Michael claims that he is also entitled to 405 acres of land, of which his father owned the freehold and which could be worth as much as £5m.

As set out in his father's will, that land, which as well as agricultural value has the potential for quarrying, had been placed into a discretionary trust for the benefit of all of John's children and grandchildren.

Giving evidence, Michael insisted that he had been promised by his father that the farm would be his and that that meant not only the business, but the freehold land too.

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Yet in a joint argument put to the court, the sisters' barristers Caroline Shea KC and Sarah Haren KC say that, far from acting to his detriment by working on the farm in reliance on promises of inheritance, Michael had actually benefited greatly.

They say John Spencer's approach to land ownership and will-making strongly suggests that he never made such a promise or assurance.

Jane and Penelope say that, should Michael fail in his claim to the land, then he has been occupying it as a 'trespasser' since his father's death and will have to pay about £130,000 for its use.

Speaking at the start of the trial, Mr Justice Rajah said: 'This is a family dispute and feelings run high, but it doesn't help me to trawl through every last dispute there has been.

'We are not going to put this family back to rights in this trial.'

Judgment is expected to be reserved until a later date.