SUPERMARKETS, already under fire from MPs, have a new and perhaps more formidable opponent in the shape of 4,500 members of the Women’s Institute.

On the day that an all-party parliamentary inquiry opened into the impact of supermarkets on Britain’s high streets, members of the Women’s Institute in Cornwall voted with their country shoe-clad feet.

The WI, in what is being dubbed the housewives’ rebellion, say that they will “where possible” boycott supermarkets in favour of local shops and hope to make the campaign nationwide next year.

The women claim that out-of-town shopping drains the life from communities as villages and towns lose local shops.

The campaign was kicked off by Marie Farey, chairman of Lerryn WI, who tabled the motion passed at the AGM of the Cornwall Federation of Women’s Institutes. She said: “Village communities and their way of life are very important. The loss of the village shop is a blight on rural life. Village shops are closing at a rate of one a week.

“My concern is the impact that has on life, especially for older people or women with young children. Community life in rural areas could be destroyed within ten years.”

Nan Collier, 59, chairman of the Cornwall Federation, said: “It’s absolutely vital we support our village and local shops and we are therefore calling for members to use these shops rather than out-of-town supermarkets.

“People living in rural areas like Cornwall rely on local shops. It’s extremely difficult for elderly people or young families without transport to get to the big shops. Getting people to support their local shop will also cut down on the amount of vehicles on the roads which is much better for the environment and will cause less congestion. Most local shops are packed with good local produce, so buying local will boost the local economy and help our farmers.”

The WI is expected to debate a nationwide boycott at its national AGM in Cardiff next June. If backed by the WI’s 250,000 members the boycott would be bad news for giant retailers such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda.

Amy Bick, the WI’s national spokeswoman, said: “This is an issue close to the hearts of WI members. We have been campaigning for some time for a supermarket code of conduct and the WI supports local communities.”

The Cornish resolution also called for members to consult their local shop owners in order to lobby local councils for systems that would support them. This could include free parking for customers or discretionary rate adjustments.

Business organisations welcomed the move. Simon Bishop, of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “We are delighted the WI is taking this initiative. Small businesses need all the support they can get to redress the imbalance between local shops and the big supermarkets which currently control 89 per cent of the food market in this country.”

Ian Cunningham, a spokesman for Asda, said that the company prided itself on close community relations. He said: “We make a real contribution to local communities. We have the most extensive local produce sourcing programme and employ around 145,000 people nationally and we put a lot in to local communities.”

MPs from the All Party Small Shops Group heard that convenience stores are closing at the rate of 2,000 a year. If the trend continues Britain will have lost 40 per cent of small food shops within a decade.

David Rae, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, told the committee that supermarkets have a devastating effect. “They leave a ghost town centre,” he said.

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