POWYS council has managed to unite the opposing sides in the European Union debate - in criticism of its decision to ban campaigning from Brecon’s Market Hall.
The council ordered a giant leave campaign poster, erected in the hall to be taken down, and then said remain campaigners were no longer welcome to campaign in the building.
Members of the Wales Stronger In campaign had previously taken a stall at the monthly Saturday farmers’ market.
Jules and Drew Hore, who run a stall at the Tuesday and Friday markets, put the giant leave poster up behind their stall last Tuesday but by Friday morning were told to take it down.
Brecon councillor Matthew Dorrance, who is campaigning for Britain to remain in the European Union, said he had been contacted by the council and told he couldn’t use the hall for campaigning - but said he hadn’t planned to anyway.
However both he and stall holders Mr and Mrs Hore criticised the council for stifling debate over the June 23 poll.
Mrs Hore said the poster has prompted debate among customers: "People have been asking us have we got posters and we’ve not had any negative comments at all.
"We’ve had a couple of people having a debate with us, and that’s fair enough. That’s what it’s for to get people talking.
"I don’t think anyone has been annoyed by it, they will make their own minds up.
"People are entitled to their opinion but they shouldn’t be allowed to stifle free speech, that’s wrong.
"The poster has done what it is supposed to do, stir up debate and get people talking."
Her husband Drew said they had been contacted by the council on Friday morning: "The market manager said they’d had a complaint from a councillor. He said to take it down and it shouldn’t be on the wall in a council building.
"I pointed out the vote to stay in group have been at every farmers’ market for the last few months. I said I’d take the poster down if they stopped them coming in. He said they couldn’t as the Farmers’ Market rent the hall."
Cllr Matthew Dorrance said he’d been contacted on Friday by the council’s solicitor who told him he couldn’t campaign at the hall.
The Labour member for Brecon St John’s ward said he hadn’t intended to: "I said I would be out knocking doors in my ward and at the town council’s event at the bandstand.
"Wales Stronger In have hired a pitch from the farmers’ market and I don’t quite understand why the council are complaining. I thought they wanted more people coming into the market not less.
"I don’t think it is healthy the council feels it can’t let anybody debate what is going to happen in the future. Nobody is asking the council to take sides, it should be facilitating democratic debate.
"Wales Stronger In has been doing a great job of getting people talking about the referendum."
A Powys council spokesman said it has adopted a "neutral stance" on the referendum and neither the remain or leave campaigns would be able to use its buildings.