Artificial flowers create a perfect storm in the 'Venice of the Cotswolds'

Few villages can rival the bucolic charm of Bourton-on-the-Water. Known as the Venice of the Cotswolds, the clear waters of the river Windrush flow peacefully beneath its ancient stone bridges conjuring a timeless appeal.

But just a few yards away in the village's honey-coloured high street, the calm has been shattered with the blossoming of an unwelcome arrival.

The decision of the local chamber of commerce to replace real flowers with silk ones in the hanging baskets it supplies for the village each year, is being greeted with consternation by locals.

The first "fake" hanging basket was installed last week. It was put there, the chamber said yesterday, in response to Thames Water's imposition of a hosepipe ban in the region. After claiming that it had the support of the local population following a "straw poll" conducted among passers-by, a further 13 are set to be put in place over the coming week.

But rumblings of dissent are now being heard above the gentle burble of the Windrush and the thrum of the tourist coaches that clog the village in summer. John Teece, a parish councillor, said: "The first basket looked nice initially but then faded dramatically and now looks appalling." Bryan Sumner, a fellow councillor, went further. "It will look dreadful and we don't want any part of it."

The initiative was defended by Martin Macklin, chairman of the chamber of commerce, as a sensible response to the current drought. "We thought we should be a bit more responsible this year," he said. "We didn't think it would be very clever to put baskets through the centre of the village and be out watering them two or three times a week."

At present Thames Water has imposed a complete ban on the use of hosepipes and sprinklers in domestic gardens and is poised to extend that ban to businesses in Greater London, should dry weather persist.

Mr Macklin is smarting from claims in the local press that his baskets contained "plastic pansies". "I'm not sure exactly what the flowers are supposed to be as I'm not a florist. But these are silk imitation flowers of the highest quality. You have to see them to believe them - you would be really hard pushed to know that they are silk." Nor are they cheap. While a real hanging basket costs £30, the silk equivalent is £70.

Not everyone is convinced, however. Hayley Heath, co-owner of Cotswold Flowers, the local florist, said silk could never beat the real thing. "To start with you would not be able to tell the difference," she said, "but left outside, as they will be, they will fade and colour and look a bit dirty with the elements."

There was some consolation, though. The Royal Horticultural Society, which runs the civic floral extravaganza Britain in Bloom, says the use of silk is not outlawed under its rules.