TEDDINGTON Station Garden Centre will be planting a seed of rebellion on Easter Sunday by being the only store of its kind to open their doors in the borough.

Due to Sunday trading laws, for the last six years shops over 2,000 square feet have not been allowed to trade on Easter Sunday. But the small, family run business by Teddington train station has decided enough is enough and this year will be flouting the law.

Nigel Dawes, owner and manager of the store, said: "We're going to make a stand because this law needs updating, we're fed up with it. We always open seven days a week and so this Easter we're not going to change that. Garden centres can be fined £50,000 for opening, but we're going to take that risk."

Mr Dawes is unsure why this element of the law exists, but believes it has something to do with giving very small shops a chance.

"But I'm not really sure," he says. "It doesn't make sense why it's just on this one day. Every year you see people queueing up at the big stores, wondering why they're not open."

Under the Sunday trading laws shops can open for six hours - except at Easter if they are over 2,000 square feet, or on Christmas day if it falls on a Sunday.

Mr Dawes says this is his busiest day of the week: "Sunday is the day people like to pick up that piece they need for the lawnmower, or choose a few plants."

Teddington Station Garden Centre was established 21 years ago and Mr Dawes believes that small businesses are becoming popular again.

"I think that room is appearing again for the little man and people want to say to the big guys that they're getting too big for their boots. In Teddington people seem to really like the little shops."