Flower-filled streets could be stripped bare of their floral decorations if Dartmouth town councillors insist on a blitz on danger signs which are blocking the pavements.

If the signs have to go then all the shrub tubs and flower troughs which have helped the town win prestigious bloom awards could have to go with them, county councillor Jonathan Hawkins has warned.

He is now planning to organise a 'town walk' with local councillors, businessmen and county highways officers to look at the problem and try to hammer out some sort of compromise.

But he warned town councillors: 'Devon County Council has a policy that anything on the pavements would have to be removed.

'That would include floral arrangements outside shops. Everything would have to come off the pavements and that would also include Foss Street.'

The problem was raised a fortnight ago as town councillors criticised the increasing number of A-board advertising signs which have begun appearing on town centre pavements.

The councillors condemned the signs for blocking the pavements for the elderly and blind and claimed some businesses leave the signs out day and night.

As the town council met this week, Cllr Hawkins admitted there was a serious problem with A-board signs in the town.

'One of the issues that has been raised is the problem we have with far too many street signs for shops, cafes and fish and chip shops,' he said. 'I do agree that over the last six to 10 months they have grown in number profusely and it has now become quite a serious problem.'

But he pointed out that if the county council was asked to take action, it could end up removing everything that was blocking the pavements – including the flower tubs.

'All the flowers, all the tubs and all the A- boards would have to be removed.'

And town councillor David Gent warned the ban could even extend to areas such as Crowthers Hill where residents put tubs and shrubs outside their homes.

'There are places that you can't walk up the pavements,' he said.

The huge display of flowers and shrubs across the town centre helps Dartmouth win top bloom competition awards year after year.

Last year the town came away with a gold award in the regional Britain in Bloom finals and Foss Street, with its tubs, shrubs and flower baskets display, won a special award.

Former mayor Debbie Morris urged councillors to step back from making a formal complaint to the county council and suggested the new business forum be asked to help solve the problem.

'We don't want to get rid of the flower tubs but it has always been a case of one thing goes, everything goes,' she said.

Cllr Hawkins said the problem had been highlighted earlier this year when an elderly woman was forced into the road by a lorry parked on the pavement in Fairfax Place.

'She fell and an ambulance had to take her away,' he revealed.

'It can be very difficult if you can't walk on the pavement and have to go into the road. It's very inconsiderate of people and very dangerous.'