TRUTH is the first casualty of war – as shown by the Battle of Malton supermarket.

Opponents of the plan to build a second decent-sized store in the town fuelled their campaign bus on demands to Save Our Car Park. I can still see the placards now, not least because the original picture of the protestors has appeared time after time.

This is Wentworth Street car park – the one that not only was never threatened, but which the supermarket plan in reality increases in size by 90 extra spaces. On top of that, the long-stay option is retained and parking will be free for the first three hours. Sounds like a great result.

I take my hat off to the relatively small number of protestors who took to the streets to demand the proposed development on Wentworth Street be turned down. But how many of them went straight to their cars afterwards without crossing the threshold of any of the shops they had just paraded past? And how many more opponents are so cross that they will happily rage about protecting Malton while on their way round Waitrose in York?

There will be campaigners who do keep it local, but I’m equally convinced there are signatories to the storm of protest who don’t. They won’t let facts get in the way of a good campaign.

The well-funded angry brigade claim a new supermarket will do lasting damage to the families of Ryedale. Really? Morrisons says it will respond to competition from discount supermarkets by cutting prices and reducing profits. The process of giving customers a better deal will be quicker and with bigger reductions if it has competition from a similar-sized supermarket.

So who would benefit from more competition and lower food bills? The biggest winners would be hard-pressed families struggling to make ends meet.

While I’m at it, I’m also putting out the welcome mat for Booths on the livestock market – let’s make Malton a shoppers’ Mecca. Saving people from being seduced by Scarborough and York will increase the numbers who stay local, making them more likely to visit our smaller shops.

Truth is that whether it’s the butcher, the baker – maybe even the candlestick maker – our brilliant smaller firms do it better. That’s why they are still here, regardless of supermarkets.

Yet when developers GMI Holbeck set out details on its Wentworth Street plans, the response was to accuse it of spreading “propaganda”. Given the wealth of misinformation from some opponents – and the emphasis is on wealth – the smear is a breathtaking cheek. Attacks have also been made on the prospect of Ryedale District Council gaining £5m from it. Incredible. This is money for our community.

Supporters of a Wentworth Street supermarket are at constant risk of being shouted down and bullied. That should stop, but it won’t. There is more than one side to this story, it’s time it was told.