WE have been visiting Tenbury Wells and the surrounding area for the past 30 years at least once a year and, in recent years, for two or three holidays per year.

The reason that we enjoy visiting is because Tenbury has so many interesting individual shops where we can buy items we need.

Imagine our horror to discover that a new Tesco store is going to open. Our experience is that opening a new superstore has a disastrous effect on local businesses.

In this busy climate, once shoppers cross the threshold of a store such as Tesco, there is little likelihood that they have the time to patronise other shops, especially if the store offers items similar to those found in local shops.

In our home town, once known for its individual shops on its famous Lord Street, many shops now lie empty or have become charity shops (we now have more than 30 at the last count).

This decline coincided with the opening of superstores.

We believe that in the US, many large once-busy stores and malls are empty as America turns to the trend of individual shops.

Can we not learn from this trend?

Please rethink this plan for a Tesco store. As local shopkeepers used to say: “Once it’s gone, it’s gone!” (referring to bargains).

Let us hope that the same phrase will not apply to your delightful shops in Tenbury as they fall victim to yet another superstore.

ANNE AND MELVYN WOOD, Belmont Street, Southport, Merseyside.