15228/2A COUPLE who put flower tubs outside their home to stop parked vehicles from blocking pedestrians have been told to remove them.

Michael and Mary Cowan put the flower tubs in front of their home in West Street, Aldbourne, where there is little off-road parking.

As a result, motorists often park on the frontages, forcing pedestrians, including children from nearby St Michael's village school, onto the busy B4192 Swindon-Ramsbury-Hungerford road.

Mr Cowan said the purpose of the flower troughs was to provide somewhere safe for children and other pedestrians to walk without having to step around parked cars and into the main road.

"Cars parked in front of these cottages force the children to walk in the road," he said.

"We don't think any parking should be allowed in front of the cottages along this bit of West Street."

However Wiltshire County Council has told the pair their flower troughs are obstructing the highway.

Although the couple own the frontage to their 500-year-old home, there are highways rights over it, council lawyers have told them.

In November the council gave the couple one month to move the flower troughs and on January 4 council lawyers warned the county council may remove the troughs itself at the couple's expense.

Mr Cowan said he and his wife had no intention of moving the troughs and added: "We will have to wait and see what happens."