CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans to open a cafe at Dunster Castle may have been hoping for a fairytale ending when they handed over a 9,500 signature petition against the proposal.

They staged a Mad Hatter's Tea party last Saturday and drafted in a host of fictional characters, including Alice in Wonderland from the Lewis Carroll classic to help make their point.

The Dunster Action Group, which represents a number of traders in the honeypot tourist village, believes the proposal from the National Trust - which has owned the grade one castle since the mid 1970s - will have a devastating impact on the local economy.

It claims that 14 businesses - all catering outlets - will see two-thirds of their turnover disappear.

Around 70 protesters joined a colourful march from the Yarn Market in Dunster's High Street to the castle, where property manager William Wake took time off from his daughter's birthday celebrations to receive the petition.

Christine Moore, a spokesman for the action group and owner of Chapel House Crafts and Tea Rooms in the village, described the event as "great".

Local MP Ian Liddell-Grainger, Cllr Bryan Leaker, who represents Dunster on West Somerset Council, and Julian Luttrell, whose family used to own the castle, were among those soaking up the atmosphere against a backdrop of music from the Tone Valley Jazz Band.

With home-made cakes being handed out to passers-by, organisers ensured the mood was light - but the message was serious.

"Local traders have no objection to fair competition but the only fair competition would be if the castle were to locate within the existing retail area or take over an existing catering establishment in the village - not to open a new facility serving a captive audience at the castle," said Mrs Moore.

"At Saturday's presentation of the petition, we asked the trust to consider the wellbeing of the village and how we should be working together, not against each other."

Opponents claim that research undertaken by the trust last year showed "very little desire" from castle visitors for a cafe, although a significant percentage - 66 per cent - would use the facility if it was there.

However, the study by Barnstaple-based Turquoise Thinking, did reveal that a castle cafe would have a significant impact on Dunster's existing catering outlets.

But the trust insists that although some visitors to the castle said they would like catering facilities on site, they also said it would not stop them visiting the village and exploring the shops and cafes there.

"Dunster attracts thousands of visitors every year and a cafe at the castle will be one addition to the 14 or so already in the area, and will help support the upkeep of the castle which costs over £500,000 a year," said Mr Wake.

"The figures put forward by the Dunster Action Group don't stack up - one additional cafe could not possibly take two-thirds of the trade from the village.

"We would need around 500 seats to do that and that is definitely not what we have planned."

Mr Wake said the trust was happy to accept the petition but felt that it had already addressed the concerns it raised.

"We listened to the views of the local community and carried out detailed research last year.

"It shows clearly that providing refreshments at the castle would not stop people from visiting the village - nearly 90 per cent of respondents said it would not affect their likelihood to visit the village."

Photos: Steve Guscott