"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."

This phrase by Mark Twain was widely attributed to refer to Disraeli but if he were alive now then his famous quote might also neatly describe the workings of Tesco's own spin machine in relation to their Tenbury plans.

Last week we ran the story on this blog showing the strange differences between Tesco's original statement of:

"9 Tesco HGV deliveries per week"

~ [to the potential Tenbury Tesco site] and the much higher...

"15 Tesco HGV deliveries per week"

~ [quoted in their latest application documents]. This figure then changed again to...

"17 Tesco HGV deliveries per week"

~ when Tesco reps were asked when at the Pump Rooms on their recent bungled charm offensive. Well the plot thickens.. A source at Tesco Ludlow has looked over the proposed Tesco delivery schedule submitted with the latest Tenbury plans and says that the statistics quoted are "very optimistic". The source adds that there is "no frozen delivery quoted" and that they have one of these a day in addition to Tesco's own fresh and grocery deliveries and that as such this should tally with a Tesco in Tenbury [if it went ahead].

This now adds up to 24 Tesco HGV deliveries per week

~ [not including the various 3rd party deliveries to the site too - which won't all be shared with Spar and Bowketts]. There's massaging of figures evident with the 3rd party delivery numbers too it would seem.. Instead of Tesco's claim of "2 bread deliveries per day" the likelyhood is that it'll be 3 bread deliveries day [different bakeries] as they have at Tesco Ludlow..

Come on Tesco. Give us a break and tell the people of Tenbury the truth for once about the large HGVs that you'll be squeezing across the fragile old Teme Bridge.