RUBBISH bins that are overflowing outside a new café could put off future customers, says a local business man opening the new business.

Dave Stallard has been working for months to transform the shopping unit on Silver Street in Trowbridge into a piano café, where diners can sit amongst the grand musical instruments and hear them being played over a cup of tea.

Mr Stallard revealed the cafe is set to be called The Old Johanna.

However since the summer, rubbish bins for residents who live above the shops on Silver Street have been collecting outside his shop and now are overflowing onto the street.

He believes that the public are using it as a dumping ground and has called on the council to clean up the area to stop customers from being put off form paying the cafe a visit.

Mr Stallard, 40 lives near Trowbridge and wants to see Silver Street brought back to life.

The street is also getting a new nursery area where discount clothes shop QS used to be on the other side of the road.

He said: “Silver street is starting to look better now as there are more people moving into the units.

“I have tried to sweep up the streets outside and clear the rubbish and speak to the council but I have got nowhere.

"It is disgusting round there now and it is going to put off my customers when I do open.

“I have been told by the council that they will send someone round but nothing has happened so far.”

Mr Stallard hopes to open his new café by Christmas for people to play one of the many pianos in the cafe at the same time as having a drink. He plans to sell some of the pianos before opening but will keep some for customers.

Mr Stallard’s mother Diane, from Hilperton said: “We are trying to make the town look nice for visitors but I think it is appalling. I have tried going down all the official routes but have not got anywhere.

“It is very easy to add to rubbish once it is there.

"The commercial waste bins outside Wetherspoons are collected but it is the residents bins that have created the problems. The residents put the bins out and sorted everything properly, but then members of the public started using the bins to put all kinds of rubbish in.”

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: “We are aware of the problem at Silver Street and have spoken with the café owner about this.

"We are in the process of speaking with our contractors to help sort this issue out as soon as possible.”