A ROW is brewing in Wootton Bassett over a demand that traders should remove their advertising boards from the High Street.

Angry shopkeepers, who have received letters from Wiltshire County Council threatening a £150 fine if they do not comply, say the boards are vital to attract passing trade.

Brian Taylor, who owns a music shop in the High Street, said: "We are a market town, we want it to look like we are busy, bustling and thriving.

"I get people coming into the shop after noticing the signs. If they weren't there people would just drive through the town.

"They wouldn't notice the shops because they concentrate on where they are going."

The town council has no power to regulate the highways but has been having talks with the county council after residents complained about the boards.

The issue has come to a head because town councillor John Allen called for zero tolerance of boards that clutter the pavements as they pose a danger to pedestrians.

The county council letters were received by traders just a day after the matter was discussed at a town council meeting.

Martyn Sassum, the owner of K4 Kitchens, said: "The big problem is that it is a blanket ban and we have had no chance to comment.

"I appreciate the safety angle and I appreciate you have to have some form of control but some people have had their signs out for eight or nine years and they have not had any complaints."

"Other towns, like Devizes and Marlborough, have these boards but I don't think those traders there have been sent this letter."

Now traders, who are being supported by the town's chamber of commerce, say it is unfair for the rules to be enforced so harshly in Wootton Bassett if other towns in Wiltshire escape.

Andy White, the owner of the Barber Shop, has taken to displaying his board on his car parked outside his shop.

"I wouldn't mind paying for a licence so the council can control the size of the boards and their location so they are not put out willy nilly," he said. "Then everyone would be happy."

Wiltshire County Council spokesman Tim Champion said: "We were contacted by Wootton Bassett Town Council about their concerns over advertising boards on the public highway, which can cause a hazard to people with visual impairments.

"Leaving advertising boards on the public highway is illegal, so we wrote to traders in the town to ask them to remove the boards.

"This is part of our on-going efforts to tackle the problem of A-boards illegally placed on the highway throughout the county."

Bhavani Vadde