Enough is enough. Everyone wants to see a busy, vibrant and financially viable town centre but the number of tables, chairs and A-boards which are now blocking the pavements in Totnes has become worse than a joke.

Tables and chairs are now appearing outside businesses where it is absolutely clear there is not enough room for them, as they take up half the already narrow pavements.

In the Butterwalk and Poultry Walk customers move chairs and spread themselves out so that there is barely enough room for pedestrians walking in single file to get through.

And elsewhere large A- boards are positioned across the pavement taking up even more of the pubic pavements.

In Ticklemore Street they don’t bother with pavements and put their boards out on the road – claiming their own bit of public highways advertising space and preventing people from parking legitimately on the single yellow lines; mainly people with disabled passes trying to park as close to the town centre as possible.

The current situation means that parents with buggies struggle to walk the Totnes town centre pavements without the danger of having to walk into the road; partially sighted people face a nightmare journey trying the avoid obstacles that should not be there; and God help anyone in a wheelchair.

This is downright selfishness on the part of businesses and there are bylaws to prevent it.

When the responsibility for policing the problem lay with the town council, it failed to issue a single pavement cafe licence – which are necessary if someone wants to put tables and chairs out on a public pavement.

It also failed to take any action over A-boards blocking people’s right to walk on a pavement and not on the road.

Now the responsibility is back with the county council perhaps it will start doing its job and enforcing the law.

It will certainly have to if enough people complain.

G Elliot

High Street, Totnes