Emma Wakefield The Politics Show South East

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There could be 1,200 Tesco Express stores

The former Head of the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), John Bridgeman, has called for a new investigation into the way supermarkets dominate food retailing in Britain.

Market analysts have calculated that in 14 districts in the UK, Tesco has more than 40% of the grocery market.

One area on that list is Medway in Kent, where Tesco dominates 41% of the market.

As OFT officials meet an all-parliamentary group this week to discuss the implications of Tesco's dominance for the British high street, we explore whether the promise of customer choice eventually means no choice at all.

According to a recent newspaper report, Tesco has accumulated enough land to develop 180 new stores.

In November 2005, Tesco revealed plans to double the number of Tesco Express convenience stores to 1,200.

So what impact will this have on rural areas? Is this the end of the village shop?

The all-party inquiry on the future of the high street has heard that more than 20% of independent shops in the UK have closed in the four years to 2004, with more than 2,000 closing last year.

We explore what life might be like if Tesco is the only option left.

After hours

As 24 hour drinking becomes a possibility for the first time we spend the night in Maidstone and its twin town in Northern France, Beauvais, to see if Britain really can adopt the "continental attitude" to all night drinking that the Government predicts.

The Politics Show South East

The Politics Show South East is live from the studio in Tunbridge Wells.

Join Paul Siegert on the Politics Show on Sunday 04 December 2005 at Noon on BBC One.

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