COMMUNITY members have voiced their concern after a Big Issue seller was recently told to leave her pitch outside a store entrance.

Mirela, 24, from Swanage, started selling the magazine on her husband Flornel’s behalf last December after he suffered a leg injury.

Despite using the same pitch under the covered entrance to Boots for nearly six years, the couple were suddenly asked to leave the site after complaints were received from customers.

The mother-of-four, said: “I don’t know why they weren’t happy with me being there but it’s been very difficult because I now have to sit outside and sometimes it is very cold and wet.

“But I’m very happy to be in Swanage and we have had lots of nice customers over the years,” she added.

Bernard Bettles of the Swanage Methodist Church was one of many residents angered by Mirela’s removal.

He said: “Lots of people in Swanage support Flornel and Mirela and I think they’ve been treated badly. I have been dealing with Flornel for quite a few years and he’s a lovely fellow and very well liked.

“It’s not Boots’ fault they had to move them but I challenge anyone who has complained to them to take over from the couple and sell the Big Issue on their behalf. I suspect there will be no takers.”

Fred Lindop, organiser of the Swanage Jazz Festival, said: “I spoke to the manager of Boots at the time and she was clearly very upset about being pressurised to ask the Big Issue seller to be moved. She felt she didn’t have much choice.

“Most of us felt it had obviously been a small minority of badly-intentioned individuals. I feel really annoyed about this but there doesn’t seem to be much we can do about it now.”

Faye Rhead, manager of the Boots in Swanage, said: “We have maintained a good relationship with the Big Issue vendors who have used the pitch over the years.

“However, Mirela recently migrated into the doorway and sometimes was blocking the side door to customers. I turned a blind eye to it at first but I eventually got a series of complaints, which I couldn’t ignore.

“It was not an easy decision to make asking her to move but in the end we had to listen to our customers,” she added.

The Big Issue declined to comment on the matter.