SHOPKEEPERS say the council’s decision to crack down on A-boards displayed outside stores is ‘beyond belief’.

Warrington Borough Council enforcement officers are patrolling the town centre asking businesses to remove any advertising hoardings on the pavement.

But their owners say the A-boards have been a part of the high street for years and that during the current economic downturn the measures are hindering their attempts to boost trade.

Andrew Moran of Callaghan Moran Hairdressers on Sankey Street says enforcement officers are threatening stores with £2,000 fines if the A-boards are not removed within the hour.

He said: “The business rates have gone up in the town centre and now we are being told these A-boards are ‘illegal signage’.

“I have worked here for more than 20 years and we have had A-boards and there has never been any issue with them.

“They are not really in anybody’s way and it’s not like they are in the middle of the pavement.

“We are finding it difficult at the moment and we need to have promotion – the costs of businesses have gone through the roof and we just need a bit of slack.”

Mojo Bar & Grill on Cairo Street has employed somebody to walk the streets wearing a sandwich board to combat the rule.

One Bridge Street shop owner, who did not wish to be named, branded the decision ‘ridiculous’.

He said: “We are in the middle of the worst financial crisis in years and the council have decided to clamp down on an important way that we all advertise our businesses.

“It is beyond belief.”

The council say the A-boards present a risk to shoppers.

Sharon Walls, highways assets manager at the council said: “A boards are not only a distraction to motorists but also an obstacle for pedestrians, particularly those accompanied by a pushchair or wheelchair for example.

“We therefore do not endorse their use on the highways and pavements of the town.”