A NEW dry cleaning service at a revamped Tesco threatens to hammer another nail into the coffin of independent traders in Potters Bar.

The Mutton Lane store has undergone a refurbishment which has seen the new service and a mobile phone section installed.

Tugay Sevincli, who owns Jet Dry Cleaners, in Darkes Lane, told the Potters Bar Edition: “It [the affect on business] is going to be dramatic. It’s not going to be very nice.

“I feel that Potters Bar has too many dry cleaners to start off with anyway and opening another one is just going to be devastating.”

He said: “I’m sure I’m going to feel the pinch just as much as other dry cleaners.

“Tesco are dominating.”

Mr Sevincli, who is also a borough councillor, said the supermarket juggernaut had also affected grocers’ trade in the town.

“Dry cleaners are just another thing on the list and I don’t know where the list is going to stop,” he added.

A worker at Sovereign Dry Cleaners, also in Darkes Lane, who would only give his name as Mr Patel, was resigned to losing trade to Tesco.

He said: “They are squeezing everybody. They’re killing all the smaller stores and they are going to do whatever they like.”

Asked if he was worried about losing business, he conceded: “I have no choice, I can’t do anything.”

Chris Piercey, who owns Elaine’s Stationers, in the same road, said: “It’s more bad news for the high street.

“The high street was already in dire straits.”

He said that the more “shops Tesco put inside their shops”, the more footfall is diverted from independent traders.

A Tesco spokesman said: “We do have some new services at the Potters Bar Tesco.

“We’ve just finished a re-fit and part of the changes include our own, in-house phone shop and another service outsourced to Timpson’s which provides dry cleaning, shoe repairs and key cutting.”