Campaigners against Tesco have pleaded with to the owner of the Belsize Park site to withdraw from lease negotiations with the supermarket giant.

More than 4,500 protesters have signed a petition against Tesco’s plans to open an Express store on the former HSBC site on Haverstock Hill

Leading the protest, local resident Linda Grove and Belsize councillor Leila Roy, pictured with her son Anton, attempted to deliver a letter with a copy of their petition by hand to Barry Ackerman, director of Kingstar which owns the site.

However as there was nobody at the company’s registered address in Great Cumberland Place, they now intend to send the letter by post.

Drafted by the chair of the Hampstead Shops Campaign Town Team, Jessica Learmond-Criqui, it urges Mr Ackerman to withdraw from discussions with Tesco, and warns that: “Many residents here will not use the local shop and that may impact on the return on Tesco’s investment which you may wish to consider before the investment is made.