CAFÉ-BAR owner Liz Hodges faces being taken to court over two signs — despite hundreds of residents have put their name to a petition supporting her.

The signs for Route 2, which opened in Topsham last year, are painted blue on a cream render.

Exeter City Council claims they are too big and planning officers have objected because they go beyond the level of the building's sash windows.

Earlier signs, from the days when the business at the base of Monmouth Hill was the Steam Packet, also projected above the windows.

However, the council says they also lacked planning consent.

Mrs Hodges was refused retrospective planning permission for the signs, appealed and lost. She now has until October to change them.

Mrs Hodges said the signs have the support of Topsham residents, including conservation group the Topsham Society.

She canvassed residents and 960 responded. Of those, 95 per cent were in favour.

She told the Echo: "If even a third had said they didn't like the signs then I would have changed them."

Mrs Hodges said the city's planning department never gave her any indication of size, although she was told not to use plastic and that she should not change the colour of the walls.

She said: "When you look at the size that the council wants is it really that different anyway?

"It would cost about £4,000 to completely re-do it.

"I really don't want to change it.

"If people were not so supportive of it then I would just toe the line."

Mrs Hodges added: "I think planners should take into consideration the local view — they received no written objections and yet they still turned it down.

"We went through loads of planning applications for other aspects to get the business up and running and didn't get the impression from those talks we would be doing anything wrong. It really has been very frustrating."

Mrs Hodges is to talk to her MP Hugo Swire about the matter and is considering complaining to the Local Government Ombudsman about the way the matter has been handled by the council.

A spokesman for the city council said: "Replacement signs should fit in the space between the top and bottom of the first floor windows on the respective elevations.

"That certainly means they need to be significantly smaller than as existing.

"Those parameters might provide a small margin of flexibility to increase the size of the one on the front elevation beyond that shown in the mock up."

Topsham Councillor Rob Newby said: "The city council feels that the sign is too big.

"Personally I think if they could meet in the middle, smaller than what is there, but bigger than what the council is suggesting, then that could be agreeable."