WHEN delicatessen owner Philip Harris decided to call time on his Hampshire shop,

little did he realise what a hornets' nest he would stir up.

Having run the award-winning Hampshire Delicatessen & Grocers for more than three years, he decided the time was right for him to sell up and concentrate on overseeing building works on his nearby home.

He has been left stunned by the reaction of his customers, who have demanded the deli in The Square, Wickham, stay open and are refusing to let him leave.

Now they have the backing of the local council, which has ignored its own planning advice in a bid to ensure Mr Harris

continues serving.

He was offered a way out by a firm that wanted to open a fourth estate agents in The Square.

But planners have ignored their policy and his wishes and refused to give their consent for a change of use.

The matter now looks set to go to appeal before a planning inspector.

Mr Harris, who owns the family business with his wife Solveig, said: "Trade in the shop has increased and there were an awful lot of objections. Some people were saying they only come to the village because of the shop and wouldn't frequent Wickham any more.

"This opportunity happened at a good time for me, but now I feel that I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"I know The Square benefits from the shop, but for my own personal reasons I'd like to get out at the moment. We will be opening another shop at some point."

Mr Harris, who lives in Shedfield, added: "I feel strongly for all parties involved. Really, I'm on the horns of a dilemma. I think this will go all the way to the top."

The plans for the shop, which won the prestigious Best Speciality Food Shop in Hampshire award last year, came before members of Winchester City Council's planning committee.

Forty residents and Wickham Parish Council objected to the loss of the delicatessen, saying it would affect the historic character of the village.

Representatives of The Wickham Society told planning bosses that swapping the delicatessen for an estate agents was not a fair exchange.

Committee members voted unanimously to reject the application, despite a warning from agent John Bray that the number of estate agents in the

village is not a material planning consideration.