Austin Mitchell has joined the Association of Convenience Stores' (ACS) campaign to promote local shops.

He reckons the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) should have more power, and the Government should force the supermarkets to publish the terms of the deals they sign with their suppliers.

He said:

"I worry when competition becomes market dominance by one or more of the big four supermarket chains, because dominance leads to the crushing of competition from smaller stores, corner shops, newsagents and tobacconists."