YOUR headline in the Gazette & Herald, “Booths in talks over shop deal” must be the best news possible for the future of both Malton and Norton.

With a raft of existing supermarkets, Booths will appeal to those people who like shopping in independent shops, and will compliment the current town centre.

There has been overwhelming support from small businesses - the Malton and Norton Chambers of Trade, Trade Locally and both town councils - for the retail development of the old livestock market by the Fitzwilliam Estate.

This includes a £15m investment which will benefit both towns.

Malton’s position as “Yorkshire’s Food Capital of the North” will be complimented by Booths commitment to local food producers.

You only have to look at what Booths has done to help towns such as Ilkley and Ripon, which has fantastic offers of local beers in England, especially Yorkshire itself.

In this month’s issue of “Which?” the national consumer research publication, under the heading “The Best and Worst Supermarkets”, guess what, the much-heralded Tesco has been placed second from bottom out of 10, only just ahead of the Co-Operative.

Let us have Booths, whose ethos is ethical and honest. Malton and Norton deserve the best.

Ann Cleverly, Settrington