CAMPAIGNERS who want to get Costa Coffee off the Cowley Road, Oxford, have stepped their protest up a gear.

For the past two Saturdays, concerned residents who want local rather than multi-national companies trading in the road have set up stall outside the new café, offering free tea, coffee and cakes.

The stall follows the launch of a Facebook group aimed at ousting the coffee shop chain. It now has about 480 members.

Jennie Bailey, who lives in Temple Cowley and is behind the action, said: "I'd say it was pretty successful.

"We must have had hundreds of people stopping by and we kept running back and making lots of coffee because we ran out.

"Lots of people seemed to agree that the encroachment of companies like Costa and Subway is changing the Cowley Road environment, almost pushing out local business.

"When chains such as Costa have a lot of capital behind them, places like The Excelsior don't have that kind of money behind them and they struggle."

The campaigners were also handing out leaflets explaining their concerns about establishments like Costa.

Ms Bailey, 28, said: "It's totally up to people what they choose to do, whether they choose to boycott the place or just go down the road for a coffee.

"We did stop quite a few crowds of people going in. There was one group of teenagers who were meeting some friends and they said they felt a bit guilty because they had just written about gentrification in their A-Levels."

She admitted that it was difficult to know what effect their campaign could have after the coffee shop had already opened.

But she said: "The point is that it just raises awareness and hopefully gets people a little bit more empowered, particularly to get involved in the planning processes."

She said she decided to start taking more direct action after seeing the level of opposition to the coffee shop.

Ms Bailey said: "We thought 'let's do something positive' - and hopefully other people will be inspired to take that on and not feel they have to sit back and watch while their world is taken over by big companies."

Costa Coffee would not comment on the action last night.

Andy Marshall, franchise director at Costa Coffee, said when the Facebook group was launched: "Other examples of Costa entering towns have revealed that Costa actually complements independent retailers while offering a wider range of choice and experience.

"The opening of a Costa Coffee shop often draws increased footfall to areas, re-energising and revitalising them, therefore bringing substantial benefits to surrounding businesses. We look forward to working with the local community of Oxford."