SIR — Further to the lead item in last week's Free Press, I feel it is necessary to draw attention to the insidious encroachment into our daily lives by the food giants in general and Tesco in particular. If it continues, and I do not see what can stop it, the unfortunate villages like Porlock will have their already fragile economy ruined because ultimately nobody is really able to stand-up to the 'big bucks' methods they employ. Certainly we can expect very little help from the Monopolies Commission for as with most government quangos it seems to be toothless and therefore useless. Tesco and their ilk have been given the green light to invade rural areas and suburban corner shops alike with the certainty of non-intervention. In Porlock, with the wide variety of shops that exist, Tesco obviously thought we were ripe for plucking. But although they will be welcomed by some, there are more who will not. Shooting themselves in the foot with the electricity key meters did not help! One of their Mission Statements reads:" One of our most important values is to treat people how we like to be treated. We try to achieve this by being a good employer and by playing our part in the local communities". Really? Can someone enlighten us please? Whilst the shop was a Londis franchise run by Alison and Mike Richardson, it and they were a part of the village, supporting village events, establishing customers' needs and trying to meet them as any enterprising business would. At least it did not mean that apart from staff wages, any money taken was sucked straight out of the village as it will be under the new regime. In a rural economy where the farmers are already suffering due to the poor prices being paid by the major supermarket groups, we now have these same companies returning to the scene of the crime in an attempt to recoup even more of the money they have spent back into their coffers to keep their shareholders happy and their fat pensions funded. This all has echoes of the 19th century when the mill and mine owners extracted a huge workload from their workforce and paid them a pittance. The workers were then forced to spend the money in the company shop because there was no other. Does the principle sound familiar? They have already shown their total lack of concern for people, what next? Will the National Park allow the 'plasticky' shop front? Roger Barbee, Chairman, Porlock Tourist Association.