WINWICK councillors refused to back a Stockport man's bid to run Sunday car boot sales in Winwick.

Simon Gleave owns the land opposite B&Q Warehouse on Junction 9.

At May's parish council meeting he asked village councillors to support him in his continued use of the site.

But parish councillors refused.

Les Higgins, clerk to the parish council, said: "Mr Gleave's request was refused on two counts. Firstly, the site is greenbelt land and, secondly, it causes major traffic disruption."

In March, Mr Gleave ran a bacon butty protest after the borough council refused to grant him a licence.

Hundreds of people travelled to Winwick from across the north west but instead of opening for business, Mr Gleave served them bacon butties and cups of tea.

Peter Marsh, the borough council's estates services manager, said: "There are a number of issues with the operation of this site for car boot sales.

"The area is greenbelt land and the car boot sales breach planning controls and the market charter."