'Hands off our cafe' customers tell Co-op

Residents living in Swallownest have launched a petition against plans to close the Co-op Cafe in September.

Keith and Joan Richardson, from Chelmsford Avenue, Swallownest, said the cafe provided a vital service to older people in the area who visited for cheap, hot meals.

Mrs Richardson said: "We have been told the cafe is going to close and the deli area will be extended. The Co-op movement was started in Rochdale by the Pioneers in 1844 in order to provide good cheap food for the people, but they're not really providing for the people are they?

"What happened to their slogan 'we go further so you don't have to'? One fellow I know, who lost his wife, goes there five or six times a week."

Mrs Richardson said she feared the closure would mean shoppers would go elsewhere for their groceries.

"It's a real shame as a lot of older people use it. The cafe serves a very social function in the area and will be sadly missed by many people in Aston, Aughton and Swallownest."

The store was previously owned by the Sheffield (Brightside and Carbrook) Co-op but has recently been taken over by North West Co-op.

A spokesman said: "We are investing over 500,000 in refitting the store for the first time in six years, which will give it a bright new look and feel. From October our customers will have a wider choice in a range of products from fresh food and chilled wines to local bakery produce. They will also be able to select a range of hot snacks and pies from our new food-to-go service."