Restaurant owners fear construction of a bus shelter outside its doors will block in visitors and fill the premises with the smell of cigarette smoke.

A bus stop outside currently opposite the entrance to Sutton Railway Station is being moved around the corner to Mulgrave Road as part of a £1.4m project entitled Sutton's Gateway.

Speaking on behalf of the group behind the project, Opportunity Sutton, a Sutton Council spokeswoman said: "By moving the bus stop from opposite Sutton station we will reduce congestion on the narrowest part of pavement and road opposite the station.

"This is just one aspect of the scheme to transform the ‘gateway’ area."

Florival Silvio, 36, owns Casa Nostra restaurant in Mulgrave Road.

He said: "To be honest I'm very concerned about it.

"Just the stop with no shelter, that would have been OK, but the shelter will be right in front of my restaurant.

"When we open the doors and windows in the summer the view will not be nice and for the customers at the front of the restaurant there will be a lot of smoke coming in from people smoking at the bus stop.

"Last I heard they told me they might be able to do something about it and next I hear they are coming to install it on Friday.

"I am going to lose business because of the shelter.

"There has been a bus stop around the corner for about 30 years?

"Changing the bus stop to over here won't help anybody, there is a taxi rank in the middle, It will cause traffic problems."

He said he would start a petition calling on the shelter to be moved back.

The work is being done in partnership with Transport for London, Network Rail and Southern Railway, and will include changes to the station itself such as the installation of an electronic bus countdown, as well as already constructed additional cycling facilities and the opening of a side entrance to relieve congestion in the ticket hall area.

The council spokesman said: "There are also a range of improvements to make the area outside the station more attractive, accessible and safer by clearing street clutter, reducing bottlenecks caused by buses and improving shop fronts.

"A new civic clock and a ‘Welcome to Sutton’ sign will be added as centrepieces in the coming months.

"All aspects of the scheme, including the location of the bus stops and shelter, were consulted on. At the time, no business objected to the moving of the bus stop.

"However, some shop keepers said they did not want people sheltering under their shop fronts.

"The final location of the bus shelter ultimately rests with Transport for London."