Up to 30 campaigners have joined the tree top protest

Olly Carter has built a tree house at the Station Road site in Shepton Mallett, saying he would stay indefinitely to protect the trees.

Planning permission for the site has been approved and a Tesco spokesman said they will be replacing the trees.

An order exists to evict the protesters but there has no action so far.

"They are not going to win," Mr Carter said.

"We've got ropes going from tree to tree to tree so when they climb one tree we climb to another then another."

The protesters are staying in a derelict building nearby

When the protesters are not in the trees they gather to eat and sleep in a derelict factory building on the site which used to be the staff social club.

"A group of us has come down to see if we can lend a hand," said one man who had travelled from Southend-on-Sea to join the protest.

The protesters have said that where they come from does not matter as they share a similar point of view.

"They're similar to us in that they're fighting planning applications that are going to destroy the local environment," said one woman.