WRITER and broadcaster Selina Scott, who has championed the cause of small businesses in Malton and protested against plans for a supermarket at Wentworth Street car park, is to chair the national conference of the Federation of Small Businesses.

The three-day event starts in Scarborough tomorrow (Thursday) and is expected to draw critical attention to the plight of shopkeepers and traders in Malton who are opposing the car park redevelopment.

Ms Scott, who lives near Malton and describes the town as a “jewel”.

She said: “Standing four-square with the FSB is another way for me to show my total commitment to Malton, its heritage and its future, where small shops, not retail giants wielding their clubcards, play a vital social role and need to be encouraged by those they elect, not sold out by them.”