SHOP owners Ralph and David Miller are fighting a decision by Kennet District Council to remove their security shutters.

The father and son, who run The Sports Shop in The Brittox, Devizes, had the grille-type shutters installed at a cost of £2,500 after suffering several break-ins.

When they put up the shutters in March 2002 they did not realise they needed to have planning permission or listed building consent.

The council contacted them last September to say they had received two complaints.

The Millers applied for retrospective planning permission but the council refused it and issued an enforcement notice requiring them to remove the shutters.

The family have now appealed against the decision and the shutters will remain until the appeal is decided by a Government planning inspector.

Ralph Miller said: "We put the shutters up in order to stop burglaries. In the four years we have been in The Brittox we have suffered five break-ins, all through the front of the premises.

"We have lost stock valued at more than £8,000 and spent £2,500 on replacement windows and doors. As a result our insurance premiums increased."

Mr Miller said since the shutters were installed the shop had only suffered one attempted break-in.

His wife, Nina, said: "We haven't installed them for fun. We've done it to protect our shop. We didn't choose steel roll down shutters which would have been out of place."

She said she could not understand why Currys in The Brittox was allowed planning permission for security shutters but not them.

Devizes Town Council, which owns The Sports Shop building, supports the Millers' appeal and has written to the planning inspectorate.

Kennet District Council refused planning permission because it said the shutters are an unattractive feature and did not preserve the historic or architectural qualities of the listed building nor preserve the character and appearance of the conservation area.

A spokeswoman for Kennet said Currys shutters were granted permission because they were internal and hidden from view when not in use.

Jo Edwards, chairman of Devizes Chamber of Commerce, said: "I think it's crazy that people can't defend their property. I don't think shutters are pleasant to look but I would rather see them instead of a boarded up window."