TEN thousand residents could be left without a shop, chemist and post office for up to six months following Tesco's decision to pull out of a Whiteley convenience store.

A One Stop shop, currently owned by the supermarket giant, has been housed in temporary accommodation in Yew Tree Drive while work starts on a row of permament shops next to the community centre in Gull Coppice.

Now Spar has won the contract for the permanent store, due to open in September, Tesco has confirmed it is ready to leave and it will be closing its shop and pulling out of Whiteley in just five weeks' time.

Council chiefs hope to start talks with Spar in a bid to bridge the gap.

Chemist staff are hoping to remain in temporary accommodation and move into the new doctor's surgery when it is complete.

Post office chiefs are working with Fareham Council in an attempt to keep a presence in Whiteley and stop residents having to travel to Park Gate.

A Tesco spokesman confirmed the closure will take place on March 23, despite the "unfortunate" timing.

Fareham council leader Sean Woodward, a Whiteley resident, said: "They are facilities we don't want to lose, as they serve 10,000 people in Whiteley. I am in negotiations with Tesco to leave its portable cabin behind and hope Spar will go in there early to build up their customer base."

Whiteley Parish Council chairman Pat Wright, who represents residents in the Winchester side of Whiteley, added: "It will be a shame if they do go as it's very useful to have them there."

John Wood, marketing manager at Appleby Westwards, Spar regional wholesaler for the south, confirmed Spar would be talking to council chiefs ahead of the opening.

He added: "Morscott RCS Ltd will be opening a Spar store as part of the Whiteley neighbourhood retail site development in autumn 2005.

"We will be conducting a thorough survey of the people of Whiteley to find out what they need."