THE owner of a car wash business has been forced to close his business after residents branded it an eysore'.

An enforcement officer at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council shut down the service on Wednesday, ordering that the shelter be moved by today.

Residents in Berries Road had been getting into a lather earlier this week over the new car wash at the back of the Crown Pub in Cookham High Street.

Parish Councillor John Stretton, who was one of the residents most strongly opposed to it, hailed it as a "victory for common sense and the rule of law".

He said the car wash boss had not asked for planning permission and needed a licence. Cllr Stretton is also the chairman of the Rights of Way and Highway licensing panel at the borough council and contacted the enforcement officer immediately.

He said: "The vacuum cleaner they used could be heard halfway down Berries Road. The noise was intolerable."

The news comes as a blow to the carwash's owner, George Smith, who had disputed Cllr Stretton's claim that it was necessary to get planning permission. Mr Smith, who owns six car wash services, said he was surprised by the opposition: " It's the first time I've ever had a complaint. I've never had a complaint about noise before."

He claimed the car wash was needed locally and would "be a good service for the local community." He said: "Believe me, there is demand. One resident had four of his cars washed on the first day."

Many residents in Berries Road disagreed. They had concerns over car parking and were extremely unhappy about the appearance, particularly the yellow signs.

Nikki Nicholls, a housewife, said: "I think it looks really downmarket and shabby. It's out of keeping with the area. At the end of last week we didn't know what they were building and suddenly we saw signs for a car wash. We hadn't heard anything about it at all."

One who wished to remain anonymous said: "I don't think we need it. It's not very in keeping with Cookham High Street."

Cllr Stretton was delighted to have won the battle on residents' behalf. He said: "We do our best for the Cookham community."