A BLIND man who collected £9,000 for charity in one year, near to the Eagle Market, has been moved on by council officials.

Cliff Beck spent most days outside the Mobility at Home store, in Theatre Walk, but Derby City Council claims he was blocking a fire exit.

Now traders in the same area have labelled his removal from the spot as a "joke".

Mr Beck said his collections will plummet because he will only be allowed to stand in the Eagle Market exhibition area on one day every two months.

The fundraiser, who collects money for Derbyshire Association for the Blind, said: "My previous spot was good because a lot of people walk past."

Mr Beck, of Keble Close, Derby, began sitting outside the shop with his dog, Nick, towards the beginning of last year and they struck up a good rapport with shoppers.

Since being moved on, Mr Beck said people have struggled to find him.

He said: "I'm very upset. It was a nice location for me and the mobility store loved having me there.

"I could go to the exhibition area, but a few days a year is hardly anything. There's not as many people down that part of the market, either."

Since losing his sight in 1989, Mr Beck has raised about £20,000 for Derbyshire Association for the Blind, which helped him overcome his disability.

His work led to him being nominated for a Derby Telegraph Community Champions Award last week.

Nick Asqua, manager of Mobility at Home, said life at the shop was not the same without Mr Beck.

He said: "Cliff is such a warm character who was always cheerful.

"We miss him already. We enjoyed chatting to him and giving him coffee.

"He is a lovely man who was genuinely raising money for his cause."

Paul Gratton, who works at shoe repair shop Timpson Ltd, opposite where Mr Beck used to sit, described the council's decision to remove him as a "joke".

He said: "He wasn't blocking any passageway. He's a quiet, polite man who was no more in the way than the tables and chairs of the cafe next to the shop."

A council spokesman said Mr Beck would have been moved on earlier had officers noticed him sooner.

He said: "We do not allow any sellers or charity collectors to stand on Theatre Walk.

"A table and chair in the aisle could act as an obstruction and impede the fire exit for others.

"We have no objection to Mr Beck collecting in the exhibition area of the Eagle Market for his charity on pre-agreed dates.

"A number of collectors do this on a diary-booking basis, including the Guide Dogs for the Blind, so that there is fair opportunity for all to collect for a number of charities."

Robin Toal, fund-raising manager for Derbyshire Association for the Blind, said he would seek to hold talks with Derby City Council to find a solution that suited all parties.