The move by the Morpeth and District Chamber of Trade comes in light of proposals by Dransfield Properties for a 50,000 sq ft supermarket in the Low Stanners area.

It will now throw its support behind the plans, as the site is a short walking distance from the town centre shops.

The campaign — which included putting posters up across Morpeth — was launched as a direct response to applications by Sainsbury's for a 35,000 sq ft supermarket in a field off the A196 and A192 in Stobhill and Tesco for a 20,000 sq ft store on a site in the Coopies Lane Industrial Estate.

The Chamber claims that if either of these stores on the edge of town are given the go ahead, there would be a major negative impact on town centre businesses, particularly small independent shops.

Chairman Stuart Lishman said: "As a Chamber we welcome the news from Dransfield Properties for no other reason than the site of its proposed supermarket is in the town centre and will complement the town's existing retail offer rather than detract from it.

"From the outset we have recognised that there is demand and popular support for a second major supermarket to offer greater choice and we have said all along that we would readily welcome either Tesco or Sainsbury's if their choice of site had minimal impact on existing shopping patterns."

He added that as the Dransfield development did not at present have a specific supermarket firm in place, the Chamber would encourage both Tesco and Sainsbury's to enter into discussions with Dransfield about having a store at Low Stanners.