SOME major supermarkets are interested in setting up in Helensburgh - but are keeping their cards close to their chests.

Since Argyll and Bute Council agreed to turn over the town's waterfront to a development including a supermarket, speculation has been rife.

The Co-op is understood to be the key part of the development by Forrest Group, but they said it was too early to confirm their move from Sinclair Street.

There were seven bids for the waterfront site. One was from Helensburgh Community Council and was rejected. The preferred bidder was Forrest.

The remaining five are still secret.

The Advertiser approached other major retailers to ask if they bid for the waterfront or were interested in being in the town.

Iceland said they had no interest in the area. But Lidl said they were interested. Others were more cagey, refused to comment or did not acknowledge the question.

One in five residents of the town have now signed a petition in opposition to a supermarket at the waterfront.

But some readers of the Advertiser have said they want an Aldi.

Unfortunately, Aldi's press managers in London refused to make a public comment.

Asda also refused to comment on "live or unsuccessful" applications.

Waitrose had previously bid for the waterfront and been rejected before building across from Hermitage Academy in what is now Morrisons.

They also did not comment, with a spokesperson for the John Lewis Partnership telling the Advertiser: "We're looking at locations across the UK and will be sharing more with our customers as soon as we're able to."

Lidl said that while they could not confirm sites of interest, a spokesperson said: "Helensburgh does remain on our site requirement list and our dedicated property teams are continuing to look for a suitable location in the area."

A spokesperson for Iceland said: "Iceland can confirm that they did not put forward an application for a store on Helensburgh waterfront and are not looking at any current sites in the town at the moment."

M&S did not reply to the Advertiser but in January this year, they told us: "While we are always on the lookout for possible new sites, no application has been made to Argyll and Bute Council at this time.”

Tesco did not reply to a request for comment.

Argyll and Bute Council said for commercial reasons, all bids and discussions had to be behind closed doors.

But that has not always been the case: when Clydebank's former Play Drome leisure complex was demolished and the land sold, the council meeting and recommended bid for the land was public.