Customers at a village coffee shop are battling to keep it open after Council chiefs ruled it must shut because it is operating without planning permission.

Gary and Heather Petch, pictured, opened Spoilt '4' Choice, a bakery in Bradford Road, Idle, in December 2000 but expanded it in January this year with a caf in an adjoining building previously used for storage.

After discovering the rented property did not have planning permission to be used as a caf, Mr and Mrs Petch applied to Bradford Council for retrospective consent to trade as a coffee shop.

The application was turned down but the matter then went before a Bradford Council planning committee after a petition was signed by 500 supporters.

The appeal was lost as planners said there were already too many take away food shops in Idle and that the caf spoiled the look of the area.

The couple have now received an enforcement notice stating that the cafe must close by September 30.

Mrs Petch, 41, today said she was angry about the decision.

"The caf has brought life to the village," she said, "It has given elderly people the chance to come and have breakfast or lunch or just come in for a natter.

"People in the village are devastated about it shutting down. I just can't understand what the problem is. There are already lots of take-aways in the village which are open in unsociable hours and are ugly but we open in the day-time and the caf adds to the attractiveness of the village."

Mrs Petch said she feared that if the caf shuts down it could threaten the future of their bakery business.

Customer Kathleen Varley, 69, of Bradford Road, Idle, said: "When the caf opened, we were all over the moon because the elderly could pop up there and have a chat.

"Now we've all heard there is a chance it will shut and everyone's really upset."

Councillor Ann Ozolins (Lib Dem, Idle) said: "I really hope the owners can find a way to keep the caf open."

A Bradford Council spokesman said: "Number 12 Bradford Road was converted into the coffee shop, Spoilt '4' Choice, without planning permission.

"A retrospective planning application was made and turned down at a meeting of the local planning panel on August 22.

"It was found to be contrary to the Council's cafes, restaurants and take-aways policy, which seeks to ensure that there is a reasonable balance between retail shops and catering outlets in a particular area."

Mrs Petch added that she now intends to take the matter up with the Secretary of State.