OWNERS of a burger franchise which recently opened in Marlborough are baffled by a row over their signs.

The Bite Me burger and chicken restaurant, which opened just before Christmas on Kingsbury Street pledging to bring top quality burgers and chicken to the town, has got one of its near neighbours in a pickle.

The sign with its slogan Get Plucked, with the tagline ‘Chicken. It’s Our Plucking Business’ is ruffling some feathers, with offended people claiming the sign is inappropriate for a town like Marlborough, and is out of keeping with the town.

“I come out of my front door and see this,” said Daisy Southend, of Silver Street.

“I find it really rather offensive and it irritates my eyeballs on a daily basis.”

Bite Me sells a range of what it describes as up market mini burgers and operates as a franchise business across the UK and globally. The sign is part of their international branding and is used on all its premises.

A Bite Me spokesman said: “I am honestly surprised by this reaction.

“The restaurant is proving very popular, and has been full most nights since it opened. And is is very popular with an over 60s age group.

“We have just opened a branch in Dubai, which is quite a conservative place, and we haven’t had anyone complain there!”

The row is now extending beyond the controversial sign back to the original planning application put in to allow the premises to be used as a restaurant.

“We were told this restaurant was going to be a Raymond Blanc Brasserie,” said Daisy. “Not this tacky burger joint.

“I feel we agreed to one thing and got another.”

The original planning application also included the renovation and conversion of the old barn behind the restaurant and Ms Southend claims this was ‘sold’ to residents as being for the Brasserie Blanc chain.

At the time the company told the Gazette they were 'in talks' about a possible move to Marlborough but have since said they now have no intention of moving to the town.

The application for the barn, and an extension and the formation of four bedrooms, was approved in February 2018.

Bite Me says the barn is scheduled for renovation work later this year.

A spokesman said the barn would be used to increase the capacity of the restaurant.

Daisy Southend is still not happy. “It’s just not the right thing for Marlborough,” she said.