COMPROMISE could have saved Bournemouth Council from delays that helped rack up a bill of at least £69,000, said Christchurch MP Chris Chope.

Mr Chope opposed the council’s private parliamentary bill to ban street pedlars from the town centre and the battle has dragged on for two years.

The bill could become law later this year – but only after a parliamentary committee turned down the idea of a complete ban.

The legal bid has cost £69,000 in external fees, and an as yet unavailable cost in internal council working hours.

Christopher Chope MP said: “The amendments are very similar to the points which I was making all along. I can’t get involved on the issue of what it costs, but I think the process could have been much reduced in duration if they had been willing to compromise earlier on.”

He had argued pedlars should not be totally banned.

The amendments say the council can seize goods and fine pedlars who operating illegally, and stop them staying in once place longer than five minutes.

The Pedlar Information and Resource Centre said there should be a new national law, not “expensive” private bills.

It has made a Freedom of Information request on Bournemouth’s total costs, which it estimates will reveal a figure of £100,000 to £200,000.

Cllr David Smith, cabinet member for community, said: “The original suggestion made by MP Christopher Chope would not have given us enough power to control street pedlars in the town.

“However, the amendment made at the Committee Stage is a compromise which will ultimately enable us to better protect established traders and shoppers from those operating illegally.”

Roger Parker, the town centre manager, said: “There’s progress here, it’s perhaps not the unvarnished bill we were looking for, but it’s progressing.”