An independent shopkeeper in Bicester has launched a petition calling for a supermarket giant to reinstate the parking space he has used for years.

Mike Barstow, from Barstow's Stationery in Crown Walk, found double yellow lines and notices threatening wheel clamping when he tried to park his car in the centre's service yard last week.

The parking restrictions were imposed by Sainsbury, which owns much of Crown Walk and is one of the companies behind Bicester town centre's proposed £70m redevelopment.

On Saturday Mr Barstow launched his petition in Sheep Street - asking Sainsbury to give the traders back their car park. And he said he gathered 193 signatures in less than five hours.

He said: "I am thinking about running it again. People were saying it's despicable."

Some of the comments shoppers wrote on the petition included: "Appalling behaviour by a retailer", "We should support our local businesses", "Absolutely disgraceful" and "Respect tradition, it's why people come there to shop".

Plans for Bicester's town centre redevelopment, which have been put forward by Sainsbury together with local developer Stockdale Land, include a supermarket, six-screen cinema and up to 25 new shops. A formal planning application is due later this month.

In a statement, Sainsbury's said it was aware of various rights to load and unload and that the action had been taken to defend those rights.

It added: "We are not aware that anyone has the right to park in this service yard, but we are carefully checking details of ownership and any rights."