Talent firm stars in Roo lawsuit

More proof that football can be just as entertaining away from the pitch as on it.

Wayne Rooney’s agent, Paul Stretford, has served his former colleague at talent agency Formation, Neil Rodford, with a writ claiming £1.6m from him personally.

The spat goes back to the infamous contract where Rooney, pictured, was signed from Pro-Form to Formation in 2002.

The peculiarities of the contract resulted in Stretford receiving a £300,000 fine from the Football Association and being banned from acting as an agent for nine months last July.

Formation paid the fine and footed the legal bill, totalling £1.6m, but then Stretford left the company — taking its most valuable star with him.

Formation instigated legal action against him to recover the £1.6m.

Now Stretford has joined Rodford to the proceedings, looking for an indemnity if the claim goes against him. He alleges he did not sign Roo’s contract — it was Rodford that did it.

We send a text to run the bath in here

Looking for a crash pad in Switzerland? An idyllic abode where you can dodge taxes and eat chocolate? The Swiss Development Group in conjunction with Kempinski Hotels is restoring the Pelerin Palace Hotel in the canton of Vaud.

The fashion designer Pierre Cardin used to stay there and the developers describe the residential project as being “beyond luxury”. Quite a claim, but what exactly is beyond luxury?

Well, it’s expensive. The 24 apartments will cost between £3m-£20m when they’re completed. It’s also high-tech. Television screens integrated into mirrors “come as standard”, a bedside monitor allows you to make coffee and shut blinds, and the fridge can detect when milk has turned.

Times Recommends

• Lies and cover-up at MG Rover exposed by report
• High oil prices push manufacturing costs up
• Primark founder steps down as chief executive