A well-known Ilkley businessman has become involved in a war of words with the former chief executive of the sportswear firm he runs.

Sir David Jones is accused of abandoning his support for the sacked boss of sportswear firm JJB, Chris Ronnie.

Mr Ronnie lashed out at his former employers this week. He was sacked as chief executive of the firm in March after it emerged his 27.5 per cent stake in the business had been seized by administrators to failed Icelandic bank Kaupthing.

Mr Ronnie said he felt let down by non-executive director Sir David, of Wheatley Lane, Ilkley, who stepped up to become executive chairman earlier this year.

But a spokesman for Sir David’s company said: “Chris Ronnie was dismissed from JJB for gross misconduct without any compensation and chose not to contest that. Whilst he was chief executive the company was taken to the brink of insolvency.”

Mr Ronnie said he alone was being made to carry the can for previous mistakes.

“The last six months has been a slaughter and I want to put my side of the story,” he said.

He also said the wider board must also take responsibility for the recent woes of the business and claims that Sir David supported his strategy while he was running the company.

Sir David, the former boss of Bradford firm Grattan, is renowned for bringing fashion retailer Next back from the brink of ruin.

He has described his attempts to turn around Wigan-based JJB as the ‘toughest challenge’ of his career.

There were questions over Sir David’s position after it emerged he had borrowed £1.5 million form Mike Ashley, the founder of Sports Direct, JJB’s biggest rival.

Last month Sir David put his Ben Rhydding Home, Whinbrae, up for sale at a price of £2.25 million with the Harrogate office of Carter Jonas estate agent. A spokesman for the estate agent this week confirmed that it was still on the market.

Sir David is also the owner of the former Grove restaurant on Ilkley’s main shopping street which closed down in 2007. The building was the subject of a bid to open a bar and brasserie by the Leeds-based Suburban Style Bar Company, but opposition from residents concerned about late-night noise and disturbance scuppered the plan.

Mr Ronnie bought founder Dave Whelan’s stake in the Wigan-based retailer in 2007 with Icelandic investor Exista but used the shares as security against the £190 million loan from Kaupthing for the deal.

JJB’s OSC fashion chain and Qube footwear stores were placed in administration in February.

The future of the firm looked in doubt until a rescue deal in March which saw the sale of its fitness chains back to Dave Whelan and a £50 million lifeline from lenders.

Mr Ronnie has claimed that he and Sir David had discussed a plan to take JJB private, but the idea had to be abandoned after an Icelandic bank was nationalised in October and was unable to back the deal.

The discussions are said to be have taken place only a few months before Mr Ronnie was suspended from his £500,000-a-year job in January. He was sacked by Sir David and the JJB board in March.

JJB narrowly avoided administration thanks to a company voluntary arrangement with its landlords. Sir David blamed bad business decisions.