A Somerset council has had a change of heart after an arcane policy prevented money from being sent to Ukrainian refugees.

Ric Canman applied to hold a charity collection at Axbridge Farmers’ Market in March, with the money being used to help people both in Ukraine and those who arrived in the UK as refugees.

Mr Canman was refused permission by Sedgemoor District Council due to a peculiar policy which forbids charity collections on market days across the district.

The council has not voted to remove this policy, which one local councillor described as "a bit strange".

Mr Canman applied on March 3 to hold a charity street collection at the farmers’ market being held on March 5, with the collection taking place between 9am and 1pm.

Under the council’s current licensing policies, charity street collections “should not normally be authorised for market days” in any town or village in the district – leading to Mr Canman’s application being rejected.

Mr Canman said he was “astounded” by this decision and wrote to the council asking for the rules to be changed, arguing market day was “the only day that certain town centres come alive”.

He wrote: “As the Ukrainian crisis worsened, in Rotary we were asked to arrange any sort of fundraising we could within our communities.

“Axbridge is a small town but is very community-centred and our one major event every month is the very popular Farmers’ Market.

“I was astounded to be told that street collection licenses were not issued for market days. We missed several opportunities to collect substantial sums to help Ukrainians both in their own country and those living with host families in our town.

“The people of Axbridge were asking me why I wasn’t collecting for Ukraine, and I had to explain that I was not permitted and I was not prepared to break the law.

“I suspect the reputation of Axbridge Rotary was damaged as a result; other clubs in different towns were collecting many thousands of pounds.

“I am still actively working to help those affected by the crisis and will personally supervise the provision of grants to Ukrainian families here in Axbridge but with funds from other clubs, which I find embarrassing.”

Councillor Charlie Riches, whose Cheddar and Shipham ward includes Axbridge, spoke in favour of removing the restriction when the matter came before the council’s licensing and general policies committee voted on Wednesday afternoon (October 19).

“I completely support removing this part.  Indeed, there are a couple of other parts of the policy which seem a bit strange.”

The change in policy means it will now be legal for street collections to happen at any market in Sedgemoor; however, those wishing to do so will still have to apply several weeks in advance.