Young boy's fruit stand saved from council complaint by local community

A little boy's veggie stand has been saved by his local community after a complaint to council threatened to shut it down.

Four-year-old Leo Tyres sells discounted fruit and veggies from his pop-up stand in Gatton, Queensland.

He sources fruit and vegetables with slight defects from local farmers who cannot sell the produce due to its imperfections.

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His mother, Barbra Sanchez, said his shop had a slow start, but now he is well-known in the community.

"I believe he is learning several life skills from interacting with people, (and) saving money," she said.

Despite its popularity, the fruit and veggie stand was nearly shut down after a complaint to the local council.

But nearly 2000 locals signed a petition to make sure the stand would stay open.

"(The complaint was) about a business that was operating in a residential area," Lockyer Valley Mayor Tanya Milligan told 9News.

"Like most councils, we are complaint-driven, we have an obligation to go and check it out.

"(But) it's no different to me than the old-fashioned lemonade stall or garage sale."

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His business started with a bag of limes and two pumpkins - but now Tyres owns a trailer that helps him source, carry and sell as much as he can.

"I can take 10 pumpkins in the trailer, 10 pumpkins," he told 9News.

After the petition, Tyres' fruit stand will remain open despite the complaint.

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