Eddie McGawley, who opened Max and Eddie's Continental Deli and Coffee Shop in June, said he was told he could not have furniture outside the venue because it caused "a highway obstruction".

But Eddie, who said he had applied for a street café licence, is keeping the tables outside the venue on the junction of Stonegate Road and King Lane, Moortown, after more than 700 people signed a petition in favour of the move.

He said: "This building has been a derelict eyesore since 1932. When I bought it, it was covered in graffiti and ridden with bullet holes.
"But I've turned it into an attractive building which is a central part of the local community. People love it and I'm here to serve them.

"The tables and chairs are doing absolutely no harm outside. They don't block the highway, there's loads of space.

"I asked the council for advice when I was applying for the licences but I was told nobody could help. I wanted to get it right but I had no guidance."

Eddie, who named the deli after his son Max, three, must also apply for planning permission after increasing the number of chairs in the cafe from nine to 13, a move he described as "bureaucracy gone mad".

He says a planning officer also told him to take down various signs, including "parking at your own risk" and 24-hour security warnings, because he did not have the planning permission required to put them up.

However, Leeds City Council said Eddie had also installed a cooker and was serving hot food without permission, a move which could land him a court appearance and a hefty fine.

A spokesman said: "Mr McGawley is currently running his sandwich shop as a cafe which requires planning permission that he does not have.

"We have written to Mr McGawley and our officers have had several meetings with him, to explain the situation."