A DETERMINED shopper has claimed a small victory over supermarket giant Tesco after persuading it to return Fairtrade bananas to the shelves of a local store.

Bridie Stringer, of Upton Grey, contacted The Gazette earlier this month after discovering the fruit was no longer available at Tesco, in Station Road, Hook.

She accused the company of being unethical by removing people's rights to choose whether to support fairly-traded goods and urged other residents to help campaign to bring the bananas back.

Mrs Stringer said what had irritated her was that the product had been removed during Fairtrade Fortnight - an annual awareness campaign to promote goods that have been fairly traded in Third World countries.

Tesco said the fruit had been removed because of limitations in space and poor sales, but following a meeting between the store manager at Hook and Mrs Stringer, the decision has been reversed.

The store has now confirmed the bananas will be making a welcome return to the shelves within the next few days.

"I am absolutely delighted by the decision and consider it a small victory in the campaign to make poverty history," said Mrs Stringer.

"The manager has advised me that the volume of sales will be monitored during the month of April and then a final decision made as to whether to continue them permanently.

"I would like to thank shoppers in Hook for making their views known and to urge them to continue buying the goods to make sure they remain a permanent fixture.

"One of the ways of making poverty history is by buying fairly-traded goods, which do not exploit the producers.

"I am grateful to The Gazette for giving me the opportunity to raise this important issue."

First published: Friday, April 1, 2005