SHOWS ARE 'ON' BUT SIGNS MUST COME DOWN

They are worried people might think their shows have been called off.

A spokesman for the Heathfield and District Agricultural Show said: 'We have not cancelled. It will still be taking place on May 27.

'We were asked to remove our 11 or so roadside boards by Lewes District Council and therefore the boards were taken down at the weekend.'

And a spokesman for the South of England Agricultural Society said: 'The use of roadside boards is crucial to agricultural societies who traditionally have small marketing budgets and large rural catchment areas from which they draw their support.

'It is of great concern that our society may not have the opportunity to advertise freely.

'We have been in correspondence with Lewes District Council and have engaged the support of MP Mr Norman Baker to persuade planning officers of our need to advertise using roadside boards for the show at Ardingly on June 8, 9 and 10.'

South of England Show chairman David Allam, said:

'We are not a commercial venture but a registered charity who distribute our profits as widely as we can to benefit the countryside of the south-east in a year of great difficulty for the farming community.

'We always remove our 20 or so roadside posters within the allotted 28-day period after the event.

'We hope the council will change its mind. In the meantime, people need to know the show is still on.'

Council planning director Lindsey Frost said: 'Exemptions to be the ban on roadside signs are for small local events such as church fetes, not for big regional events that have a commercial aspect to them.

'We have discussed the situation with both parties, ands we are prepared to meet up with them again, but the council does not want the countryside being plastered with signs.

'We don't think either of these events come within the ambit of events that are exempt.'