Ex-editor sued over web venture

Steve Sampson , former editor of The Sun in Scotland, is at the centre of a controversy involving a venture called TalentNation , in which Scottish Enterprise has a £1m stake. It is reported by The Drum media website that former staff and contractors have launched legal actions to recover unpaid fees and salaries that they claim are owing. Sampson, a one-time director of the Daily Record in Glasgow and editor of an ill-fated title called the Sunday Scot , created TalentNation in 2008 in order to identify and promote young sports stars. Until last year, it had a team of around 20 people, one of whom was Craig MacKenzie , brother of Sampson's former mentor, Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie . Craig, who is currently helping to set up the Daily Mail's online operation in New York, said: "I am one of 15 people who is taking action over unpaid fees. "TalentNation owes me about £5,200... Steve is an extremely engaging guy but nevertheless I want my money and then I want to move on." A Glasgow legal firm confirmed that it is acting for a number of people pursuing claims related to TalentNation. Sampson, while declining to comment on the allegations, is quoted as saying: "We have plenty of money... We do not have a problem. "You are putting yourself in a wrong footing with me. I have some very serious people who will be grumpy as f*** if you write about me... "I do not want to talk until we have done the deals we are doing. But when we do the deals I will be screaming my head off, because we are doing some really cracking stuff." Sources: The Drum / The Scotsman