A BLIND Monmouth woman has come out in support of the town's beleaguered traders, who have been told to remove chairs, tables and advertising boards from the pavements outside their premises.

Mrs Dorothy Bly, who has closely followed the furore over the boards, told The Beacon this week she was aware of the damage the legislation was doing to the community.

"I have limited vision, but I keep a mental map of the town when I walk around. Knowing the positions of permanent or semi moveable features is vital and these present no difficulty. The problem lies with the unexpected" said Mrs Bly.

"The display outside Munday and Jones is not an obstacle, and is a valuable asset of the town, always laid out with care and where it is a pleasure to smell and feel the produce.

"There is more than adequate space for people walking by, or with prams or wheelchairs, and the one metre rule is being imposed without judgement.

"Similarly, the tables and chairs outside the Coffee Shop, where the pavement is broad, presents no hazards to those negotiating Monnow Street".

To read more on this story see The Monmouthshire Beacon issue dated January 28th.