Stephen Ladyman MP has pledged to fight for the future of newsagents in South Thanet.

The commitment came after it was revealed that traditional newsagents are being forced to shut up shop at a rate of more than one every day.

Developments in the news distribution industry – the businesses that deliver newspapers and magazines – have left most newsagents with no choice over who supplies them.

Shop owners fear that the lack of competition will leave them with no alternative supplier and vulnerable to increased costs.

Last week almost 800 newsagents delivered a petition to the Office of Fair Trading demanding urgent action to protect competition in the news distribution industry.

Stephen Ladyman MP today threw his weight behind the campaign to save Britain’s newsagents.

He said:

"Local newsagents provide a great service to our communities and we can't afford to lose them. That is why I've been trying to get clarity from the Government in recent weeks about the costs of implementing the new rules on tobacco displays and why I'm backing the campaign for the OFT to act to stop the big newspaper publishers forcing up the costs of local newsagents."

"We all want to be able to get our newspapers from the friendly face at the end of the road and it is unacceptable that so many newsagents face an uphill struggle to survive. I am happy to pledge my support to newsagents in South Thanet and across the UK."