A COUPLE who ploughed their life savings into buying a corner shop say competition from a new supermarket giant has forced them to abandon their dream.

Gary and Caroline Cargill, pictured, claim to have closed the Family Store, in Blackpool Road, after a Somerfield store opened inside the forecourt shop of a nearby petrol station, in Lea.

The Cargills say borough council planners didn't give them sufficient notice that the mini-market would be opening close to their shop.

After a month, the couple found that custom had dried up.

Gary said: "We can't compete with them. Considering we are opposite the new site and in direct competition with them, we thought the least the council could have done was let us know so we could have objected to it."

The couple will have to pay half the normal rate of council tax on the empty shop. Gary added: "We want to run a business but we have been forced out.

"We want to convert the shop into a takeaway but we have already been told it will probably be refused. What can we do?"

They have now put the shop on the market.

A spokesman for Preston council said it was normal for people to pay half rates on empty properties and added: "Properties neighbouring the site were informed about the plans in plenty of time."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.