RICHARD Potter followed prime minister David Cameron's advice to get work.

He set up his own snack wagon. but after eight months of building up a successful business, this week he lost his pitch in Newton Abbot.

That was on Monday when he found Devon County Council had put boulders on the verge of a dead end off the Jetty Marsh Road roundabout to prevent his trailer parking there.

Mr Potter, 50, of Sharps Crest, Heathfield, has put his Jem's Snack Wagon on the site daily from 8am-2pm Mondays-Saturdays providing rolls, pasties, bacon and egg, and breakfasts.

'It seems a lot of expense to go to when they cannot repair many of the potholes around the area, yet they will spend all this money to stop one bloke making a living,' he said.

He added that officers from Devon highways had made repeated calls to the snack wagon and each time said that while there was no planning permission, they had no objection to it.

'I was reported to health and hygiene, yet I had the correct requirements and a certificate on view from Teignbridge Council to prove it,' he said.

Mr Potter has now taken the matter up with Central Devon MP Mel Stride, and his local county councillor, George Gribble.

'I have sent an email to Mr Cameron pointing out the situation and explaining that I was following his advice to people to get off their backsides and get into work,' he said.

Mr Potter, who has a petition signed by 108 people supporting him, looked after his wife Elizabeth for two years while she recovered from a brain haemorrhage and, since running the snack wagon, has been able to be with her during the afternoons.

'I suppose I could have sat back and let the state pay for me, but why should I?' he continued.

Cllr Gribble, who has asked Newton Abbot councillor Anne Fry to look into the matter, said there were little snack wagons all over the country, most doing no harm.

'This man is trying to make a living for himself and is causing no hassle, but it appears one resident is taking exception and is complaining to highways almost daily.

'While he should have applied for planning permission, he was not doing any harm in my opinion and trying to make a living instead of sponging off the state,' said Cllr Gribble.

A spokesman for the county council said the area at West Golds roundabout was a public highway and trading was not permitted.

'The business owner has been asked to cease operating on a number of occasions and was written to in November.

'That advice has been ignored and we have had to resort to placing large stones around the perimeter to stop unlawful trading,' he added.