TRADERS in Skipton, who have been told to remove boards advertising their shops, have called the council policy a "farce" this week.

Numerous shopkeepers in the town have been sent a letter by North Yorkshire County Council telling them to either remove boards placed outside their shops on the pavement or face fines.

Richard Marr, divisional engineer with North Yorkshire County Council, said only advertising boards conforming to the traffic signs regulations were allowed. The rest were an obstruction and a hazard to pedestrians.

Mr Marr added that under the 1980 Highways Act, he could order the removal of signs at a charge of £25 to cover costs.

Peta Jennings, of Flowers by Design on Otley Street, who normally places her signs at the bottom of the street, told the Herald she needed the advertising boards to attract customers up the side street from the High Street.

Mrs Jennings added she had also been told she could not place goods for sale outside her shop.

She said: "This will affect my trade considerably as I put special offers out in front and this helps to bring in the passing trade. It's going to desperately affect it."

She added that without this advertising, many people would walk past the shop thinking it was just a florists.

Mrs Jennings added: "I don't see there is anything wrong with what we have been doing and unless they are causing an obstruction there's no problem. I admit some people do take the mickey and block the pavement, but not in this case."

She added she had been forced to tie signs to drain pipes and also erect a shelf on the front of her shop so that items for sale would not actually be on the pavement and therefore she could not be prosecuted.

Mrs Jennings added Otley Street was a one-way street, which was cobbled and used as an extension of the pavement by many pedestrians anyway.

A caf owner in Otley Street added she thought the policy was a "farce". She said: "All we do is work hard and try to make a living. We pay our rates which are phenomenal and just want to get on with it without all this."

Other traders complained that some businesses were allowed to keep their advertising signs outside their shops because they were placed on private land and not on land covered by the remit of the council.

Billy Walls, of Meadowcrofts Shoe Repairs on Keighley Road, said he was allowed to put a sign outside his shop front because he paid for a small piece of curtilage before the pavement as part of his rent.

He said: "I pay for the land in front of my shop as part of the rent so in theory I pay for the privilege of having that sign."

Mr Walls added as his signs were on this piece of curtilage they were not obstructing the pavement in any way.

In response, Mr Marr said an inspection had been carried out along Coach Street, Water Street, the High Street, Swadford Street, Newmarket Street, Otley Street and Keighley Road.

He added: "The signs do obstruct the footpath and it was only last week that a lady banged her head on one attached to a street lamp at the bottom of the High Street.

"I thought it was best to remind shopkeepers of their responsibility and duties. In a roundabout way I am doing them a favour for if someone was to injure themselves they would be sued. Recently a shopkeeper in Richmond was sued for £10,000."

When told most shopkeepers had their own public liability insurance, Mr Marr said: "I don't think it is very public spirited to put an obstruction on the footpath and then rely on their public liability insurance.

"The law is very clear in this respect. It is very black and white and does not allow for any discretion.

"It would be up to a magistrate to decide in a court of law. In the cases of very wide footpaths, magistrates have shown discretion in some recent cases but as a highways authority we do not agree with those judgements."