PLANS to brighten up a town are hanging in the balance after the county council claimed lamp posts may not be strong enough to support hanging baskets.

The idea for floral baskets in Beaconsfield New Town was proposed by Shirley Scrivener, Chairman of the Beaconsfield Trees and Town Group.

She said she could not understand why the lamp posts were not strong enough.

She added: "If you go anywhere around here and then look at Beaconsfield, it's so dull.

"We said that if the county council provided the hanging baskets, then we would pay for a year of them being put up. We would have put £400 towards it."

The Beaconsfield Trees and Town Group is now looking into other ways to brighten up the New Town.

Deputy Mayor of Beaconsfield Graham Smith said the situation was just ludicrous.

He added: "It's very unhelpful. They have told us what we can't do, not what we can do. They have shown a lack of co-operative spirit.

"There must be a way that we can hang some hanging baskets they just need to tell us what specifications they are."

A county council spokesman said: "We are sympathetic to the request for hanging baskets in Beaconsfield, but our first priority must be safety.

"Street lamps in other counties have fallen over injuring people and we would not like anyone to be hurt in this way in Beaconsfield."