Tesco mix-up halts family’s campaign

TESCO bosses have blamed a decision to stop a family’s campaign against the axing of Race For Life outside its store on a misunderstanding.

Julie Smith and members of her family were planning to take part in the July 6 fun-run at Alexandra Park. But, as the Chronicle reported, race organisers Cancer Research UK scrapped the event due to a low number of entrants.

The Derker mum was originally given permission by Tesco head office to hold a seven-hour stint on the car park of its Huddersfield Road store in order to collect names for a petition to get the run reinstated.

Julie (47), of Vulcan Street, said: “They said there was no problem, but half-an-hour before we were due to start, I got a call saying we couldn’t do it because Tesco was supporting Race for Life.”

A change of heart by Tesco came too late as the family began a frantic run around the borough seeking permission from other supermarkets to collect there instead. B&M discount store agreed to let the signature-collectors stand outside, and they set up stall at 1.15pm on Monday — more than two hours later than planned.

“By then I had rang round everyone who had volunteered to help us to say Tesco had changed its mind, so there were just four of us,” she said.

They collected a total of 500 signatures, bringing the total to 1,397.

A Tesco spokesman said: “We have been major supporters of Race for Life for a decade and we work extremely hard to encourage as many women as possible to sign up.

“This appears to be a misunderstanding and the group are very welcome to collect signatures outside our store.”