Overview

• A petition with more than 113,000 signatures led Tamworth Borough Council to reverse last year’s decision and allow Ben Newman’s trailer to return to the market square.
• Owners of Side Walk Café and Market Café report that Spudman’s customers are using their outdoor seating, toilets and chairs without prior consent.
• Newman attributes the backlash to jealousy, noting long queues at his stall and insisting local cafes have benefited from increased foot traffic.
• Cosy Café manager Sarah Vickers credits Newman’s 4.2 million TikTok followers and 560,000 Instagram followers with drawing new visitors and boosting local trade.
• A council spokesman confirms that all formal complaints received through its official process are being investigated.