BUSINESSES’S advertising boards will be seized by council officers if they continue to use them after a ban comes in to place.

Colchester Council bosses have approved a controversial public spaces protection order which will also see aggressive begging and some forms of antisocial behaviour banned from the town centre.

It is understood the order will come into place from October 23.

Businesses will be given two weeks grace to get rid of their boards or find another way to display them.

After that time, Mike Lilley, Colchester councillor responsible for public safety, said each board will be seized.

If businesses continue not to comply they will be fined.

Mr Lilley said: “We don’t want to penalise businesses - we want businesses to flourish in Colchester but we are doing this for every disabled person in the borough.

“The way things are cannot go on.

“Some businesses have two or three A boards out on the pavement and it’s just not right.”

He added: “We are looking at a complete ban. Businesses will be given two weeks’ grace to remove the boards.

“If they are still out after two weeks, there will be consequences.

“If we’re going to do it, you just have to do it. There’s no point in doing in half-hearted.”

The order will also focus on aggressive beggars who target shoppers in the street or wait by cash machines.

Mr Lilley said: “It is important people understand, we are not targeting homeless people.

“This is about stopping aggressive beggars who follow people in the street or pitch up beside cash machines with a can of beer.

“That just will not be allowed.”

There will be no grace period for those people spotted begging aggressively.

Colchester Council is one organisation which is taking part in a town centre night of action on Friday, October 27.

As part of that, council officers will be speaking to beggars and offering them help.

Mr Lilley added: “We don’t just want to go in and start pushing people off the street.

“People are saying we are targeting the homeless but we’re not.

“We want to help people but we cannot be having people begging aggressively in our streets.”

The order was first mooted in August and was open for a four-week consultation.

Among those who objected to the plans were Colchester MP Will Quince and the Rt Rev Roger Morris, Bishop of Colchester.

Both men labelled the plans draconian and “not the answer”.

During the consultation, 40 people responded in support of the plans while 31 opposed them.

Ten comments - neither in support nor against - were also recorded.