SUPERMARKET chain Somerfield last night criticised the Competition Commission (CC) for intervening in its takeover of 115 former Safeway stores from Morrisons.

Somerfield said the commission had "put the cart before the horse" in its provisional finding that the deal would result in a substantial lessening of competition in 14 areas. It could be forced to sell the stores to rivals as a result of the provisional ruling.

The 14 stores that caused competition concerns included several in the North-East including Yarm, near Stockton; Bedlington, Northumberland; Linthorpe, Middlesbrough; Filey, North Yorkshire; South Shields, South Tyneside, and Pocklington, near York.

Somerfield said the body had acted on a "theoretical possibility" that it would behave in a certain way. It said many stores under scrutiny compete with other shops run by big competitors such as Asda, Lidl and Tesco nearby.

The chain said: "Somerfield considers that the CC has merely identified a potential lessening of competition and labelled it significant, presuming that adverse effects will follow.

"It is submitted that that is legally insufficient."

The company added: "The CC has given no reason why Somerfield's practices in the identified local markets are likely to differ from those already found in the real world."

Christopher Clarke, chairman of the Competition Commission inquiry, said last month: "We believe the only effective means of restoring competition in these areas is for the identified stores to be sold to a suitable grocery retailer who will offer choice and actively compete in the relevant local markets."

Somerfield, which completed the transfer of the stores in March, is in the midst of a three-year programme to refurbish the sites.