A PETITION protesting about the closure of a Malvern supermarket cafe has been signed by 850 people in less than a month.

Staff at the cafe at Kwik Save, on Spring Lane, launched the petition after the firm's head office decided it was to close to make way for a summer refurbishment. Staff plan to hand the petition over to bosses.

Cafe manager Diane Clark, who has worked there for over two years but only took over the franchise two months ago, says she stands to lose her life-savings if the closure goes ahead.

She says she was not told about the refurbishment when she took over the business and now has to vacate the premises by the beginning of June.

Ms Clark said her other concern was for her customers, many of whom are elderly or disabled.

"They find it very easy to stroll up the road, sit in here and have a hot meal," she said. "Some come every day. If it wasn't for coming here I don't think some of them would have a hot meal at all."

Visitors to the cafe said it should stay and some said they would not shop at Kwik Save anymore if it closed.

Former Kwik Save employee Elaine Sharratt still visits the cafe everyday. She said: "I think it's desperately wrong. The atmosphere is nice, it's nice to be able to come out and talk."

Heather Collins said she would be upset if the cafe was to shut.

"I like the atmosphere, it's friendly and you meet people," she said.

Ms Collins said the relaxed policy on smoking was another attraction, as most cafes ban it.

A spokesman for Kwik Save's head office in Bristol said the decision to refurbish the store and close the cafe had been taken at least four weeks after Ms Clark took over.

"Kwik Save is refurbishing and improving the Malvern store in line with a new look it has developed for its stores," he said.

"These stores are based on a corporate design blueprint which cannot be changed. The design offers more space for products, thereby giving our customers more choice, but it does not include space for a cafe."