CAMPAIGNERS who will be sending a petition to Tesco asking the company to rethink plans to close the Tesco metro store in Andover have been buoyed by public support.

They were outside the store in the centre of town on Saturday and have now collected more than 1,000 signatures.

Councillor Tony Hooke who represents Andover South on Hampshire County Council, said: “We will keep collecting for another couple of weeks as it seems that the news hasn’t really sunk in yet – they haven’t taken it in.

“They think that Tesco doesn’t shut shops while some didn’t know about it.

“The reality is that Andover can’t afford to lose another shop and if it does it is one less reason for people to come into the tow. We need the footfall in the town.”