Ref. 28831-08SUPERMARKET bosses were hauled before angry Highworth councillors to explain why they had axed a convenience store.

Town councillors claim the Co-op store in High Street was a lifeline for many elderly people.

When Highworth's new £4.5-million Co-op and library complex opened last year, councillors were led to believe the smaller town centre store would remain open.

Several weeks ago, councillors asked for a meeting with Co-op bosses to discuss rumours that it was closing.

The meeting never happened, and on Saturday the outlet shut.

Richard Holmes and Bill Laird, of the Oxford, Swindon and Gloucester Co-op, finally met the council this week, and were berated for closing the branch.

Councillors said many elderly people relied on it as they found it easier to get to than the new supermarket in Brewery Street.

Another Co-op, in Glebe Close, shut when the new supermarket opened.

The Co-op managers were accused of running down the smaller store.

In a heated outburst, mayor Ken Poulton said: "You can protest as much as you like, but you ran the store down with a view to closing it.

"You didn't give it a chance.

"Many items were not available, and often people would come out without buying anything.

"I happen to know it was used by a lot of elderly people who cannot get to the larger store."

Coun Steve Weisinger said many items in the convenience store were more expensive than in the larger outlet.

Mr Laird, a general retail manager with the Co-op, said the store was no longer making a profit.

He said: "You can reduce the price of items in bigger stores but not in smaller ones, because it would hit the profit margin. It is standard retail practice. The store was closed because it was no longer profitable."

When quizzed about the future of the building, Mr Holmes, a property manager, said it would be sold on the open market. Coun Richard Scotchmer called on the Co-op to lease the building out as a community centre.

He said: "I would like to see it turned into a community centre for a variety of local associations, such as the guides and scouts."

Mr Holmes replied: "If the local authority wanted to buy it, we would be happy to talk to them."

Tamash Lal