A TOP councillor wrote a letter opposing a supermarket development – three weeks after he backed the plan on Twitter.

Residents and traders are campaigning against the proposal to set up a Tesco Express at The Black Bull in Mirfield.

They fear a new store at the pub building would lead to traffic problems and damage other businesses in the town.

Kirklees Council leader Clr Mehboob Khan wrote to Tesco on September 20 asking the company not to set up a store at The Black Bull.

But three weeks earlier, the Greenhead Labour man had posted comments on micro-blogging site Twitter supporting the development.

On August 29, Clr Khan tweeted: “I hope the application is approved, the Tesco Express in my ward is very popular and Mirfield residents deserve the same choice.”

The Greenhead Labour man then became involved in an online debate with Mirfield man Richard Hartley.

Clr Khan tweeted that Tesco and Sainsbury’s had opened stores in Marsh and Lindley which had not driven other shops out of business.

He wrote: “Tesco Express in other villages and towns have created jobs and boosted the viability of town centres.”

However, just three weeks later Clr Khan wrote to Tesco to oppose the company’s Black Bull plan.