HUNDREDS of residents packed out a village hall to voice their anger at plans for a new supermarket in Meopham.

Tempers flared as Tesco chiefs unveiled the proposal to replace the independent hardware business Meopham Building Supplies which closed down after 25 years in April.

Colin Hargrave, the manager of Spar in Meopham Parade, handed over a petition with 1,200 signatures objecting to the Tesco Express store during a meeting at the village’s church hall on Wednesday, June 5.

The 59-year-old told News Shopper: “They (Tesco chiefs) must have had an exhausted evening.

“Everyone who walked in was attacking them, saying ‘this is a village, not a town’.

“They were trying to say there’s no need for extra parking because their customers live within a kilometre of the shops. There’s more cornfields than customers in that area.

“They think they’re in central London, they’re not, they’re in a little village.”

Mr Hargrave, who has been trading in Meopham for 49 years, added: “They expect to wipe me out by attracting three times as much turnover.

“Well, they’re not going to close me down.”

Tesco already has planning permission to open up in Meopham Parade and will be its sixth store in Gravesham and create around 20 new jobs.

A Tesco spokeswoman said: “We build stores where we believe they will be busy and popular. Our Express stores offer a good range of value for money food and household basics.

“They are a great alternative to driving to larger supermarkets or for those who have no transport or prefer to shop on foot.”