SOME people have found Royston Tesco store s changes to its popular café hard to swallow. The old café closed for the last time last Sunday, and will be replaced by a Costa Coffee franchise. One resident, Rosemary Cowsley, who used the café regularly, sai

SOME people have found Royston Tesco store's changes to its popular café hard to swallow.

The old café closed for the last time last Sunday, and will be replaced by a Costa Coffee franchise.

One resident, Rosemary Cowsley, who used the café regularly, said: "We went to Tesco for our usual Sunday morning breakfast, and were told by a member of staff in the café that it was closing."

And campaigner Terry Hutt, from the Royston pensioners' action group, said: "Our members are very disappointed, and so are a lot of other people in the community.

"I know a lot of workmen who go in there for a reasonably priced breakfast that they won't be able to get from the new place.

"Tesco is known for value yet they have decided to go for the expensive option and we feel they've got it wrong."

Mr Hutt added that he had written to the firm's chief executive Terry Leahy, asking him to reverse the decision.

A spokesman for Tesco said that the company had made several "enhancements" at the Royston store recently, and that "with limited space available, some choices had to be made".

He added: "We do understand that for some of our customers, the café that is now being closed provided a pleasant meeting place or a chance for families and individuals to have great food at good value prices.

"But we think changing the café to a different format will actually appeal to an even wider number of people than before.

"However we do listen to all our customers' views, and we know that price remains a very important factor for cafés, and that is why tea will remain at 99p.