HUNDREDS of angry customers have rallied to the aid of an award-winning rural business which claims it is under threat from planning red tape.

Sarah and Hugh Annett were left distraught after being ordered by council officials to remove four signs showing people how to get to their Country Barn farm and coffee shops near Widdrington, Northumberland.

Yesterday Mrs Annett handed over a 530-name petition at County Hall in Morpeth, which was signed in just a week by customers, supporters and employees of the family-run business.

The couple, who employ 32 people and have won a number of rural enterprise awards, say the professionally-made signs are a vital advertising tool to attract trade, and their loss could lead to the closure of the business.

They are among a number of businesses and community groups in Northumberland which have recently been ordered by the county council to remove unauthorised roadside advertising signs, under threat of legal action or enforcement.

The petition was yesterday presented to opposition Conservative leader Peter Jackson, who called for a moratorium on the removal of advertising signs until a review of the controversial policy has been completed by council bosses.

The signs alongside the A1068 Morpeth to Amble road, advertising Country Barn Ltd, had been in place for five years without causing any problems, before the council ordered their removal.

Yesterday Mrs Annett said their plight had sparked anger and a flood of support from customers, as well as staff whose jobs could be at risk.

She said: “We have had complete strangers ringing and emailing the shop to express their disgust. Some people who have called in have been visibly upset, after seeing other advertising signs beside roads which the council is not doing anything about.

“Northumberland is a massive county and for the council only to be punishing certain businesses seems to most people to be wrong. There appears to be no fairness to it, and customers have been telling us not to back down and to make a stand.

“The support has been great and I've had other businesses contacting me and saying they have had trouble too.

“There has been a suggestion made that we should try to set up some kind of forum or group to campaign on this issue.

“It is really frustrating. Since we took the signs down we have already had examples of tourists who visited us last year returning this year and not seeing the signs. They thought we had either gone bust or closed down.”

The council says it is committed to supporting local businesses and chief executive Steve Stewart has asked for a review and report on the policy on roadside signs, following the recent cases highlighted by The Journal.

Coun Jackson said yesterday the Country Barn petition would be handed to council officers with a view to being discussed at a future meeting.

For the council only to punish certain businesses seems to most people to be wrong. There appears to be no fairness to it