A trader was outraged when traffic officials tried to remove signs from outside his shop because they were placed on double-yellow lines.

Paul Bott placed the boards partially on Lewes Road, Brighton, outside his shop to drum up trade.

He took the unusual step because vans persistently parked on the pavement were blocking the view of his hair and beauty salon, Thingys.

After ignoring two warnings to remove the metal signs, he was visited by traffic officials from Brighton and Hove City Council who attempted to take them away by force.

But Mr Bott, 31, of Kemp Town, refused to hand over the signs.

He said: "It is absurd they should choose to remove my signs instead of the vans, which were parked on the pavement. It is pathetic.

"I am an aggressive marketer and certainly not the sort of chap who waits for business to walk through the door. I pay the money to trade on a busy road because passing traffic means passing trade.

"But what is the point of me being here if the traffic cannot see me? I put out the signs because I refuse to sit back while I lose customers. I would never place them in a position where they posed a danger to traffic."

The swing signs, each less than 3ft tall, have been standing about 16 inches on to the road for the last four weeks.

Although Mr Bott prevented the traffic officials taking them, the council insisted it would remove the structures if they continued to infringe on the road.

A council spokeswoman said: "Any vehicles breaking parking restrictions while parked in Lewes Road will be given tickets. The vans in question in this case must have been unloading stock.

"The trader was asked to remove the signs by highways licensing staff. If he does not remove them, the council has the power to do so. It is dangerous to put signs in the road and an offence under the Highways Act."

Tuesday 22 April 2003