MP mucks in at local store

3.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 10th Jun 2008

Local MP Tim Farron marked National Independent Shops week last week by helping out at Central Stores in Levens. Mr Farron operated the tills and helped to stack the shelves with owner Roger Atfield in an effort to gain an appreciation first-hand of the challenges facing small business owners.

Many small store owners are facing increasingly tough times in the face of aggressive pricing tactics from the major supermarkets, but the value of a local shop to a community can never be underestimated.

Tim Farron said:

"So many small business owners throughout our area are suffering in the face of Government red-tape and the actions of the enormous supermarket chains.

"National Independent Shops week is a great way of drawing attention to the challenges that small business owners face."