Organisers of Devizes Festival and the town’s carnival are to be offered the chance to use an empty shop in town centre for publicity.

Town councillors were asked to consider covering the front of the former Masons green grocers shop at 19 The Brittox with removable vinyl prints showing old pictures of the town.

But councillors thought it could be better used for publicity, as long as the displays were professional and it did not lead to fly posting.

Deputy town clerk Simon Fisher said in a report to the council that officers wanted to try to minimise the impact of empty shops in the town centre.

He said: “Officers have investigated the cost of covering the front of the shop with internally fitted vinyl removable prints showing an old 19th-century map and early 20th-century photographs of the town.

“This has become a much more common method of dressing empty shops, giving a subliminal message that the town is open for business. The intention is to provide a point of interest for shoppers rather than a depressing image of an empty shop.”

He said it would cost about £557. Councillors said officers should first ask organisers of some of the town’s biggest festivals if they would be interested in using part of the window.

Masons closed at the end of December and Mr Fisher said that January was not a good time of year to try to find a new firm to take on the lease.