Television antiques expert Sara Hales has been told her Bovey Tracey auction room can continue to hold Saturday sales despite objections from neighbours.

Mrs Hales and husband Mark have run the Newton Road business since 2001 and were originally given permission for a single weekday auction each month.

The couple specialised in fine art sales and Mrs Hales has appeared on shows such as Flog It, Cash In The Attic and Going For A Song.

But in 2005, the couple introduced general Saturday household sales, unaware of the need to alter their planning permission.

Neighbours soon realised that more vehicles were visiting the site and began to complain that traffic was blocking the privately owned Avenue Road.

Last month, the matter went before Teignbridge Council's development control committee, where officers recommended that extra sales should be refused because of the highways issues.

But councillors voted to give the Hales another month to address the problem and come up with a 'travel plan'.

On Monday they met again.

Resident Jill Halliwell, chairman of the 60-strong Avenue Road Residents and Users Association, said 'nothing had changed'.

Inconsiderate drivers visiting the auction house were continuing to flout parking restrictions and causing a potential hazard she claimed.

But Mrs Hales responded by saying that there had been no accidents associated with the sales and that Devon County Council, as the highways authority, had no objection.

She repeated her earlier claim that the sales were generating income for the town and added that 27 households in Avenue Road had used the auction house.

Cllr Fernley Holmes sided with the objectors saying he had seen the problems for himself.

'To grant planning permission will exacerbate the traffic problem,' he said.

His colleague Cllr Anna Klinkenberg disagreed. She said not only were there no real traffic problems but that businesses such as the auction house were needed in the town.

'The applicants are fighting for their livelihoods and their staff's jobs,' she said.

A majority of councillors followed her lead.

Cllr Humphrey Clemens said: 'The main objection here is highways, but highways aren't objecting.'

Members voted 17 - 5 to grant planning permission contrary to officers' advice.

The Hales can now conduct up to 50 Saturday sales each year.