IT was intended to be a goodwill gesture to help promote local businesses during the credit crunch, but ended in chaos.

Newsagents Bob and Lynn Fieldsend were happy to give free advertising space on a board which has been on the wall at the side of their Eastleigh shop for 50 years.

Now they have accused the council of acting like jobsworths by ordering them to rip down a poster advertising a local nail and beauty salon which has just started up.

Bob and Lynn were furious when a letter from the council landed on their doormat which said the advertisement did not benefit from deemed consent under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisement)Regulations.

The couple were also ordered to remove the unauthorised advertisement within 48 hours or risk being hit with a fine of up to £2,500.

Mrs Fieldsend said: “I was fuming when we received the letter and I do not like being treated like a criminal.

“The council just seem to be picking on this particular site. We are not doing any harm.

“We are supporting local businesses that are trying to make a go of it.

That is why we let them advertise free of charge.”

The couple have removed the advertisement from the board which is on the corner of Barton Road and Bishopstoke Road.

Daniel Lennan, who owns Elise Nail and Beauty Salon which opened at the beginning of April in Bishopstoke Road, said he was angry when he received a similar letter from Eastleigh Council.

He said: “Bob and Lynn were helping local businesses who had just started up and it is not easy these days. I was not surprised when I got the letter because everyone is trying to stick to the rules and regulations.

They are a lot of jobsworths about.”

Councillor Roger Smith says he will be taking up the issue with the authority’s economic development committee.

He said: “The council is trying to support local business and in this case we should be encouraging rather than discouraging. We have too many vacant shops in Eastleigh.”

A council spokesman said: “The advertisement board outside the shop can be used to promote the shop and its business.

“However, if other companies or businesses advertise on the board planning consent is required and a planning application should be made.”