A Falmouth charity founder is taking a stand against what she calls the “bullying tactics” of a local supermarket.

Jeannette Preston, from Pants Matters cancer charity, is fed up with the state of parking outside her furniture, clothing and bric-a-brac outlet at Ponsharden.

She claims that staff at the neighbouring Sainsbury’s are blocking access to her store by filling up all the surrounding parking spaces and parking on the approach road.

“It becomes an issue every Christmas and every Easter,” she said.

“We pay nearly £2,000 to rent three units, which is an awful lot of money, and we have allocated spaces as a result. 

"Sainsbury’s encourages its staff to park at the entrance to our great hub opposite them so it can free up car parking for customers and it does not care that we are losing money,” she added.

Jeanette says she has been offered the services of a barrister who will act for her “if necessary,” but “so far I have declined the kind offer,” she said – although her “patience is running out.”

A Sainsbury’s spokesperson told the Packet that the company “always aims to be a good neighbour” and would be “happy to meet with other tenants to discuss their concerns and to come to an agreement about what to do over this busy period.”

“We have a small car park at our Ponsharden store and, to meet the bigger demand we receive from customers over Christmas, for the past few years colleagues who work at the store been able to park in all the spaces available,” he added.

Building work on a new Sainsbury’s superstore, which will be located on waste ground near the current site of the Vospers garage, is expected to start in 2013.