TikTok's Spudman 'loses town centre spot'

Ben Newman (aka Spudman) has built up a large online presence

A potato seller turned TikTok sensation has posted that he has been moved off his town centre pitch in order for a flowerbed to be created.

Ben Newman, a street vendor also known as Spudman, had been told last year that he would be temporarily moved from his spot in Tamworth, in Staffordshire, while the area was redeveloped.

He claimed the authority had also changed his contract, which meant his pitch that he could have sold was now worthless.

Tamworth Borough Council said the work in St Editha's Square was temporary, and once completed, the street vendors would be welcomed back.

In a Facebook video, Mr Newman, who has 4m followers on TikTok, said he bought his pitch in 2003 for £100,000 but had now lost it to a "flowerbed", which will be installed by the council.

He added that he had built his business there; everyone knew where he was, but now he had to apply for a new spot.

When he bought his pitch, it had been a transferable asset, and he could have sold it and retired or passed it to his son, he said.

But he added that traders now had to apply for pitches every 12 months, and the pitches were no longer transferable.

"My biggest asset has been wiped out and is worthless," he claimed.

Mr Newman, who was last year granted the freedom of the borough, said he had been left feeling "destroyed". "The amount we've done, and that's what I get. I get a flowerbed on my pitch," he said.

'Offered a space'

Council leader Carol Dean said in a statement the authority valued small, local businesses, including Spudman.

She said Spudman and other street vendors had been temporarily moved while St Editha's Square was redeveloped.

"Once the work is complete, consented traders will once again be welcomed back," she said.

She said the square would have a new layout with minor changes for some traders, including Spudman, who had been offered a space next to the monument with a pitch, metres from his original spot.

Traders were licensed to operate on their pitches, she said, and the council owned the square.