DOROTHY House Hospice charity shop in Malmesbury claims donations are down because taxis are parking outside its shop at the Market Cross.

The street outside the shop is marked with double yellow lines but cab firms have an unofficial agreement with North Wiltshire District Council to park two taxis there.

In the last four months since she has taken over as manager Teresa Deadman said donations had dropped as a direct result.

She said: "We have lost quite a few customers because they can't park outside just for a few minutes to drop their donations off and then go.

"We always help people bringing in donations but if they can't park outside and that becomes increasingly difficult.

"Anyone coming to the shop can see for themselves the chaos that is going on outside in the car park.

"We have got delivery drivers trying to get to the pub which is also at the Market Cross. It is terrible."

Ms Deadman claimed a cabbie had been rude to a volunteer when asked to move on.

She added it was not just people trying to donate who had problems.

"A lot of the people that come in are blue badge holders. They park for a few minutes come in have a look around then go," she said.

But owner of Manor Taxis Alan Stoneham said he could not understand why his firm affected donations to Dorothy House.

He said: "I do not know what axe they have to grind, I really do not.

"We do not park there during the day, only after 6pm as agreed with the police and the town council. We park in front of the town hall during the day and we move if anyone needs access.

"The only cars parked there now are private cars. What we are trying to provide is a good service to the town."

The cab firm, which has just opened an office in Oxford Street, has campaigned to the district council for a taxi rank in Malmesbury.

It said the ranks are needed because it was impossible to park in the town centre and elderly people found it particularly difficult getting to the library, doctors' surgery and post office.

Mr Stoneham said Malmesbury needed a permanent taxi rank.

He said: "We talked about this to the district council months ago but nothing has happened. We could do with a three or four space taxi rank in the town centre and maybe a large temporary restricted taxi rank just for evenings and Sundays at Market Cross.

Ms Deadman said the situation had got better in the last three weeks but she definitely did not want taxis back in front of the shop. She said her manager had written complaining to the town council.

Malmesbury Mayor Charles Vernon said: "I find it difficult to understand what the problem is. Manor Taxis has made an application to the district council for a taxi rank outside the town hall and at the Market Cross.

"They made it clear that during the day people gravitate towards the town hall. They said during the evening people gravitate toward the Market Cross. I can't see how that would stop people going to Dorothy House. The taxi drivers actually sit in the taxis while they are there, so they can move their cars if there is an emergency."

A spokesman for North Wiltshire District Council said the council was consulting on the request for additional taxi ranks, but it had no plans to create extra spaces in Cross Hayes.

He said: "The current proposal is that, when the road area is resurfaced two taxi spaces will be marked out in front of Malmesbury Town Hall.

"The schedule for the resurfacing work is dependent upon the completion of street enhancements in the area.

"The council has been involved in correspondence with Dorothy House about this matter, and incidentally we have received a very amiable letter of reply from them."