RJG Bushell dismissed Vivienne Knaggs’s letter, which drew comparison between Northallerton, which has a Tesco superstore and few empty town centre shops, and Malton, which has no superstore and plenty of empty town centre shops.

Because he maintained it was all about location, location, location, and that the Tesco store in Northallerton being adjacent to the Market Place could not be compared to the Wentworth Street site which was 200 metres away.

I, for one, don’t agree that this would stop Wentworth Street supermarket shoppers walking the short distance and accessing and using what Malton has to offer.

My wife, who along with many other ladies seem to be able to smell out and be unable to pass up a shop within a quarter of a mile radius, would not let a mere 200 metres put them off a bit of retail therapy.

However, if that comparison is not acceptable let’s make another, with one of the many towns that have supermarkets or superstores just off the town centre.

Beverley is a comparable market town like Malton it is a small industrial and service hub, surrounded by agriculture with many fewer villages in its catchment area than Malton.

It has a Tesco superstore and their car park is, I would submit an equal if not a greater distance to the centre than is Wentworth Street. Not only has Beverley learned to live with this massive store, but it has thrived, last time we were there, I counted not one empty shop.

We do our supermarket sweep on Thursdays and like many other retired people treat it as a day out and have a ride out to places like Ripon, Thirsk, Northallerton or Beverley. I have been in Morrisons in Malton once and now only ever go into town if I have to go to the doctors or want to go to Yate’s.

Peter Bell, Slingsby