A trader is urging a council to let him keep a bench outside his shop after he was presented with it to mark his community work.

Stephen Lowndes was given the seat by HIV support group Open Door in appreciation of his decision to plant a tree outside his shop to mark last year's World Aids Day.

He owns Planted, a florist in Kemp Town, Brighton. Since then he has organised the planting of more trees along St James's Street to brighten up the area.

The bench, which is at the side of his shop in Camelford Street, has become a popular resting point for elderly people making their way to and from the nearby Co-op.

But Brighton and Hove City Council has written to Mr Lowndes saying he must remove it because it is blocking the street for pedestrians.

Failure to comply with the order will mean Mr Lowndes' licence allowing him to display flowers on the pavement will be revoked.

Residents say it is a "kick in the teeth" after all the work Mr Lowndes has done in the community and unnecessary when the pavement is littered with plenty of other obstructions.

More than 15 neighbours and shopkeepers gathered outside the shop on Monday in a bid to make the council change its mind.

Mr Lowndes said: "I feel victimised by it. It feels like someone has made a gripe about something and the council has followed it up without any consideration for what we've done in the community. I just don't understand it."

He said all narrow streets in the area had bins and other obstacles along the pavements and the bench was no different.

Miranda Ellis, 45, an interpreter who lives in Camelford Street, said it was farcical. She said: "The bench has become a focus because as much as we have a gay population, we also have an elderly population here and this has integrated the two groups. Steve chats with them and gives them a bit of company.

"We have no real seating in the area there's nowhere for the elderly and this bench is used on a daily basis.

"It's a kick in the teeth for Steve after all he has done. He cleans away all the graffiti and he's doing so much to make the street a nice place to be for the whole community."

A council spokeswoman said the seat was on a narrow pavement so people had to walk into the road to get past.

She said: "We appreciate what the traders have tried to do to improve the area and tried to turn a blind eye to the problem.

Unfortunately, we've had complaints from residents' groups and the public and have a duty to act on them.