Mohammed Al Fayed has paid the £36,000 legal costs of West End firm, Finers, after the firm sent the Sheriff of London's men to his house.

Finers partner Philip Rubens, acting for Emanouel Antiques got Al Fayed's six-year-old civil damages claim against the dealer struck out in the Court of Appeal last August and Fayed had to pay Finers costs as well as the costs of his own lawyer at DJ Freeman, Marina Palomba.

When Finers' bill was not paid, Rubens issued a writ of fieri facias on 14 January and the Sheriff of London sent his officers to Fayed's 60 Park Lane home. They were refused entry, but two days later a £36,000 cheque arrived at Finers.

Al Fayed had been trying to sue the antique dealer alleging four pairs of candelabras which he had bought from him for £300,000 were fakes.

The Appeal Court ruled that the proprietor of the dealership, Emanouel Naghi, had suffered prejudice because of the inordinate length of time the case had been hanging over him.