EVENTS promoters in the Borders are playing cat-and-mouse with council enforcers.

And they want to have a peace summit before they are put out of business.

Over the past few years more and more promoters are using colourful banners, costing upwards of £50 each, to advertise gigs, fundraisers, exhibitions and sports matches.

Railings in and around town centres - including many in Galashiels and Selkirk - have been turned into advertising hotspots.

But as quickly as they go up, patrolling officers from Scottish Borders Council take them down.

Most are then collected by the promoters from recycling centres and then hung again from other railings.

Bill Jeffrey runs JMP3, organising and promoting concerts across the region.

He told us: “I had Sandi Thom playing in Gala last year and it was a nightmare trying to keep the banners up.

“It starts to feel personal. You are doing everything you can to bring top artists to the area and give local businesses a wee boost yet it feels as though the council are doing everything they can to make you fail.

“I know there are guidelines about distracting drivers but there are billboards in every other part of the country.” Mr Jeffrey currently has five banners spread across the region promoting a forthcoming Capercaillie concert in Selkirk.

Over the past few weeks he has regularly had to retrieve them from the recycling centre at Langlee.

He added: “I often pick up other people’s for them when I’m up. I collected Tesco’s flu-jab ones for them the other day.

“I’ve tried to talk to the council but they don’t listen. There can surely be some compromise to help us make events a success. It will likely cost me around £700 for the council’s hall hire when Capercaillie play. We should be working together not against each other.” Selkirk community councillor and opera veteran Tommy Combe recently hit out at the local authority’s 'selective’ approach to banner removal.

Several of Scottish Borders Council’s own banners had taken pride of place on railings in both Selkirk and Galashiels to promote a photography exhibition in Old Gala House.

And he believed banners belonging to certain sports clubs were never removed.

Yet promotional material for am-dram productions were regularly pulled down.

Galashiels DJ and events promoter Steve Cass wants support from the local authority - not, what he believes, persecution.

Mr Cass, who staged a successful Manchester party night last weekend, said: “We have been putting on events for 20 years - bringing thousands of people into the area and generating money for local b&bs, taxis, takeaways and pubs.

“On Monday past I was disgusted to find my advertising banners had been taken down by Scottish Borders Council yet again.

“I often find my banners dumped in the skips at Langlee.

“To hire the council building for Saturday’s event was £500 - not cheap considering Scottish Borders Council offers you no security, no staff, no sound and no lighting to run the event.

“Across Edinburgh there are areas designated for advertising banners and posters. This works well.

“Hopefully we can sit down and discuss how to make Galashiels and the rest of the Borders a better place for everyone involved. Instead of working against each other let’s work together.” At the start of this week the Public Park railings in Galashiels housed no fewer than seven different banners - ranging from a joinery company and sports events to a car boot sale.

A spokesperson for Scottish Borders Council said: “Any unauthorised sign that is in place at the roadside, especially next to a roundabout or junction, could be a distraction for motorists and should be removed.

“Also, as part of the council’s policy on un-authorised signs, advertising banners erected at the roadside for the purposes of commercial gain are considered unauthorised and will be taken down.”