STRANGE goings on in Levens took another twist when a poster proclaiming a new supermarket plan appeared.

Hot on the heels of last week's missing petition riddle involving a housing development, a sign on the site said the area was now to be a general store.

Builder and former South Lakeland district councillor David Parsons and his wife Catherine were at the centre of a storm of protest after an 80-signature petition against their scheme for two detached houses was taken from the village shop.

Store owner Roger Atfield called the police and the document was returned later in the day.

Mrs Parsons later admitted borrowing and photocopying it, explaining it contained an "inaccurate photomontage".

Holding up her hands and admitting the spoof supermarket scheme, Mrs Parsons told the Gazette she had put up the sign as a joke.

"I only left it a couple of days and hoped people would laugh at it," she said.

Mr and Mrs Parsons' planning application to demolish a bungalow called Greystones and replace it with two four-bedroomed houses has been a contentious issue in the village.

By the time South Lakeland District Council received the petition it included 191 signatures and was accompanied by 13 letters of objection.

A decision on the planning application is expected next week.