MORE than 700 people have written to object to Test Valley Borough Council's plans for Andover High Street but at a meeting of the council's executive it was claimed some may have been coerced into writing.

Others thought the photocopied letters sent in by many objectors might not carry much weight.

The letters are facsimilies that have simply had objectors' signatures and addresses added to a prepared text.

Romsey Liberal Democrat, Mark Cooper, said: "This is an item with a long history and my concern is the predominance of the standard (photocopied) letter.

"I would like to ask about the status of these letters as coercion, pressure or foul play could have been used to get people to sign them.

"Those people who really meant what is said would have got off their backsides and written their own letters. We should only take into account single letters."

Of the 745 letters of objection to the proposal some 683 are the photocopied letter.

Two of the letters have since been withdrawn - one by a man who said he had not sent a letter and was in fact in favour of the scheme and another who said he had been pressured into signing in order to receive prompt service while hurriedly shopping.

Legal officer, Mick Mundy, said: "The inspector will put what weight he feels appropriate on the objections.

"We will have our own advocate who will be there to make these points."

Highway engineer Mark Lambert, said that despite any suspicions about the photocopied letters 'we have to give them the benefit of the doubt and treat them as genuine'.

He added: "The information I have had from the Government Office for the South East is that because of the level of objection it is likely there will be a public inquiry."

Chief executive Alan Jones, said it is the weight of argument not the weight of the number of letters which will prove crucial when the inspector takes his view. But there remains powerful opposition to the scheme.

Former council leader, Norman Arnell, said: "I remain totally unconvinced of the benefits of the scheme which will be a burden on the people of Test Valley."