TESCO has apologised to residents for traffic problems caused by the building of a new store in York.

As previously reported in The Press, the supermarket giant has come under fire over the building of its new Tesco Express store, in Huntington.

Residents of Brandsby Grove in the village have complained that contractors' vans and lorries are clogging up their road, meaning that access is extremely difficult.

A poster which urges people to contact Tesco if they have any problems is on display, but the telephone number has been omitted.

Another resident of Brandsby Grove has now written to The Press.

Rod Walker backed the claims by Victoria Oxberry that workers' vehicles were blocking the street.

He also said Tesco did not have permission for an outside cash machine, but have since been putting up crash barriers in anticipation of being granted permission to have one.

"It would appear that Tesco has pre-empted the outcome of this," he said.

But a spokeswoman for Tesco denied that was the case.

She said crash barriers were installed in front of new stores as a matter of course and would have been built anyway.

City of York Council confirmed Tesco had submitted an application for an exterior cash machine, but Tesco's spokesman said the company was subject to the same laws as everyone else.

She said: "We always play by the rules. The planning system in the UK is rigorous and democratic and we always abide by those rules and guidelines."

Regarding the traffic in Brandsby Grove, she said: "We recognise that this is a busy street and we apologise for any temporary inconvenience while the store is being established.

"We hope to open the store early next month and so the work should be finished very soon.

"We take our responsibilities as a good neighbour seriously and that is why we have set tighter than usual delivery targets for ourselves - a window of a couple of hours at the start of the morning and early evening during the week and slightly later in the morning on Sundays to minimise disruption to our neighbours."

She said the number residents should phone if they do have any complaints is for the customer relations department on 0845 505555.

On Monday, local councillor Keith Orrell said: "I am very concerned that local residents are being inconvenienced in this way.

"I do hope Tesco will ensure the development proceeds without further inconvenience to local residents."