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Sainsbury's has hit back at claims that its chief executive has betrayed the Barnes community by breaking promises to them.

The argument arose after members of the White Hart Action Group (WHAG) accused Sainsbury's CEO Justin King of going back on his word by making it financially impossible for an alternative retailer to take the controversial site from the supermarket giant.

A spokeswoman for Sainsbury's said: "Mr King has not gone back on any promises to campaigners.

"He told them in a meeting that Sainsbury's was a commercial organisation and considered commercial propositions, not community ones.

"There is no truth in the suggestion that he has gone back on his word."

She added that WHAG had misinterpreted the situation and said no commercially viable offer had been made for the site.

The comments have further angered WHAG members and prospective MP for Richmond Park Zac Goldsmith.

Group member David Rossiter said: "To deliberately mislead representatives of the community his company is about to invade - and thus the community itself - is bad enough.

"To then accuse them and a politician of lying or distorting the facts is beneath contempt."

Along with Mr Goldsmith, both men insist a commercially viable offer had been made from an organic food retailer.

Mr Goldsmith added: "The company took the view that losing this site would send an unhelpful message to other community groups fighting Sainsbury's and the bar was consequently raised to impossible heights.

"Mr King has wasted our time.

"He has undermined the community and, yes, he has misled us."

12:21pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

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