A shopkeeper has been ordered to tear down security shutters which protect his business from vandals and burglars.

Chris Dancey has been told by council officials the £3,000 shutters are "detrimental to the character" of his Supernews newsagents in Ditchling Road at Fiveways, Brighton.

Mr Dancey, who suffered break-ins and smashed windows before the shutters were installed, insisted yesterday that Brighton and Hove Council was simply inviting criminals to renew their attacks.

He has vowed to fight the move and said he was prepared to go to prison rather than remove the shutters.

He said: "What the council is saying is I should stop defending my business, that I should be disarmed and I should allow the vandals and thieves to attack my shop.

"Well that is not going to happen. This is a human rights issue and one I don't intend losing. I don't care what it takes and I am prepared to go to court and even prison."

Mr Dancey launched a petition in his shop yesterday and collected more than 200 signatures.

Neighbouring shopkeepers, many with security shutters of their own, are backing him.

John Collins, manager of Barfield butchers in Ditchling Road, has had shutters for more than six years but has heard nothing from the council about removing them.

He said: "I had windows smashed until my shutters went up. I can't understand why all of a sudden they are acting like this. Have the council planners nothing better to do? This is petty-minded."

Councillor Jeane Lepper, who lives in the Fiveways area, is calling for an end to a planning rule that stops shopkeepers protecting their windows from yobs.

She said: "It's plain daft to have a rule that is supposed to be about maintaining the appearance of the area if that leaves shop fronts unprotected.

"The late-night noise and fighting are bad enough but recently at least two businesses have had their windows damaged."

Mrs Lepper is also calling for a CCTV camera to be brought back to the area, where gangs of up to 40 youngsters regularly gather.

She said: "There was some relief earlier this year when the police sited their mobile CCTV camera in the area but once that went it was back to business as usual for the late night louts."

Mr Dancey's shop was broken into three times and was hit several times by air pellets and ball bearings before he installed shutters four years ago. Since then there have been no attacks.

Mr Dancey said he was not aware planning permission was needed for shutters and the council's enforcement notice came as a shock.

He said he appealed for permission retrospectively but this was refused and he is now appealing that ruling.

A council spokeswoman said they were looking for a solution.

She said: "Mr Dancey has presented the council with some new evidence about previous break-ins which planning officers were not aware of as it was not included in his original application.

"The planning department has advised him to submit a new planning application including this new evidence and it will be reconsidered."