Apprentice star locked in row with furious neighbours after she painted her shop ‘unacceptable’ shade of yellow

AN APPRENTICE star is locked in a fierce row with her neighbours who hate her yellow shop.

Marianne Rawlins opened her store in Stamford, Lincolnshire, in September after giving the front a new lick of black and yellow paint.

The baby and toddler shop business owner, who made it to the final weeks in the 2019 series presided over by Lord Sugar, has made several boo-boos.

She's the latest in a number of ex-Apprentice stars who have found themselves in trouble after appearing in the TV show.

Marianne says she was "surprised" to be told the paint job was not in keeping with the image of the quaint market town.

"I'm a little surprised. I think we have done a great job to preserve the heritage of the building.

"The last thing we want to do is detract from the character - we tried to accentuate it more than anything else," she said.

The Tudor building had been empty for more than two years, so the entrepreneur refreshed its look with 'cherished yellow gold' from Dulux's heritage range and black to match the existing Tudor beams.

Because of the building's history and its place in a conservation area in a picturesque town, any painting needed planning permission.

The town's civic society has also kicked off with the colour she selected.

"The application of the so-called 'heritage colour' has a negative impact on the building and should be reconsidered," they told town planning officers.

Stamford Town Council added: "Yellow is not an acceptable colour in the conservation area".

Rawlins now faces having to change the yellow shop frontage if a retrospective planning application is unsuccessful.

The mother-of-two young children opened 'Stork of Stamford' which offers clothing, toys and equipment for babies and children.

She said previously: "I've been wanting to set up a shop in Stamford since 2021 when my son was born.

"I must have looked at - or enquired about - every available commercial lease in the town centre since then, and am so thrilled to have found the perfect spot."

Marianne, who is from California and also runs a business consultancy, moved to the UK in 2017 to be with her husband, a pilot who was based at RAF Wittering.

Dulux's heritage collection was developed by historian and paint analyst, Patrick Baty, and 'inspired by periods of historical significance between 1714 to 1939'.

Officers from South Kesteven District Council's planning department will now make a decision as to whether Stork can stay yellow and black or if it must be repainted.