Winchester publicans are blooming angry over the City Council's decision not to have hanging baskets in the city this summer.

The council has decided against spending a five-figure sum on buying 350 floral displays because of fears of drought.

Now local licensees have expressed anger over the city council's "ludicrous" U-turn on hanging baskets, saying it could dent their trade. They argue the displays make the city an attractive place to visit and spend money in. The council initially proposed saving £35,000 this year but later reversed the decision when it set the council tax in February, before the U-turn a couple of weeks ago.

A spokesman for PubWatch said: "This is a ludicrous decision by the council and it cannot be good for Winchester.

"There is no hosepipe ban in Hampshire and cutting out hanging baskets is unlikely to have any lasting effect on the city's water usage. If the council do not provide baskets this year, local businesses may well be forced to make their own arrangements using an equivalent amount of water just the same."

City Council leader Sheila Campbell said: "I can't prevent local businesses deciding to do it on their own. I think a less water-demanding floral display is a challenge, and I think conserving water is something all gardeners increasingly need to think about.

"The water we would use on the traditional hanging baskets during the summer is the equivalent of emptying the large pool at River Park three times over.

"We don't need to use water at that rate to create attractive displays."