A PETITION containing 700 signatures has been handed to Devizes MP Michael Ancram by pharmacists Andy and Sue Rugg, who are fighting moves to deregulate local chemists.

The Office of Fair Trading is putting forward a proposal to deregulate pharmacies, saying it will lead to an improved service to the customer.

But pharmacists across Wiltshire are opposing the change, arguing that supermarkets will price chemists out of business.

Mr Rugg, who runs Terry's the Chemists in the Little Brittox, said Mr Ancram supported their fight against the proposals.

Mr Rugg said: "Mr Ancram is behind us. He said he had received hundreds of letters from people worried that they could lose their local chemist.

"He, himself, said he would be concerned if his local chemist closed down as it provided a vital community service."

Mr Rugg said he had been heartened by the support from his customers.

"Some customers have come into the shop specially to sign the petition. They think the proposals are atrocious and are concerned that it could lead to chemists like ours closing," he said.

"Patients will suffer if it goes ahead because the pot of money for pharmacists will be more diluted. A lot of GPs are against the idea because pharmacists take a lot of pressure off them by helping to diagnose minor ailments."

Mr Rugg is continuing to collect signatures for the petition and will send these in before a decision is made on the OFT's proposals by the Department of Trade and Industry in April.

North Wiltshire MP James Gray is also backing the campaign.

He said: "I believe that if supermarkets were to take this business, many people would suffer, and not just the pharmacy owners.

"Many customers would struggle to get to these bigger stores, which are often further away from their homes.

"In addition, these smaller pharmacies not only provide a valuable, local dispensing service, but they also provide a great deal of medical advice to their communities and I believe that this would be lost if it were to fall to supermarkets."

Last week Mr Gray met pharmacist Cathy Jones, of the Wootton Bassett Pharmacy in the town High Street, who is also organising a petition with the support of customer Bridgett Tubb.

The MP agreed to present their petition to Parliament in April.