A popular family of hot dog sellers kicked out of the shop they have run for 15 years have collected thousands of signatures supporting their bid to return.

Marie Benson has been battling to save her business since Sutton Council earmarked her Lunch on the Run shop for demolition in February as part of a £3m town centre makeover.

A petition of support, containing nearly 3,000 names, has been handed to deputy council leader Ruth Dombey, and the issue is due to go before the council’s next licensing committee meeting.

Sutton councillor Paul Drage told this newspaper last month the shop acted as a “flashpoint” for trouble, but police figures show there were just three serious violence incidents in the town centre in the past 12 months – a drop of 70 per cent.

There was also a 40 per cent fall in serious youth violence over the same period – from five incidents down to two – leading Mrs Benson to describe Coun Drage’s claims as “ridiculous”.

She said: “You hardly see any trouble up here – everywhere you go there’s always a few scuffles, but if it was dangerous I wouldn’t be here myself.

“I was only issued with my new licence in May, so if they had a problem then why did they issue it?

“I can’t see how they can say I’m a flashpoint when there are other businesses up there with late-night licences.”

The 52-year-old, who has been trading from a mobile store outside Wilkinson for the past five months, said moving from the profitable night-time pitch to the quiet end of the High Street would be the end of her business.

Mrs Benson said: “Even people who don’t eat here have come to sign the petition because they think it’s so wrong what the council is doing.

“It hasn’t even given me a new spot yet – it has just given me the paperwork for a temporary licence so I’ve no idea where I’m going to go.

“I’m going to wait and see how the meeting goes, but I can’t be out of work.

“I suppose I will have to go down there but I don’t see why I should.”

Councillor Ruth Dombey, deputy leader of Sutton Council, said she wanted to “make it clear” the council was “not closing down her stall”.

She said: “Her application for a permanent site near to Wilkinsons was rejected because of objections about the suitability of the location from environmental health and the police but we have suggested an alternative site further down the High Street.

“I hope that she may be encouraged by the number of customers signing the petition who would surely continue to be loyal and walk a little further down High Street to visit her stall should she decide to apply for the alternative site.”

Do you think the hot dog stand should stay at the top of the High Street or move to the bottom? Join the debate by leaving your comment below.