BOSSES of a business being bulldozed to make way for the new £45m Woolwich Civic Centre have held an unusual protest.

Funeral directors Sue and Paul Hopper brought Woolwich town centre to a standstill as they walked through the streets, bearing a Tesco own brand-style coffin.

The couple were demonstrating against Greenwich Council's decision on August 22 to make a compulsory purchase order of their business premises, Willow Independent Funeral Services, Wellington Street, to make way for a new civic centre.

The centre forms part of the Love Lane Masterplan to regenerate the town.

Love Lane will include a large Tesco store, create 1,000 jobs and 800 new homes.

Last Friday, Mr and Mrs Hopper walked with the coffin from Love Lane to Wellington Street, handing out copies of their petition, which has more than 500 signatures opposing the demolition plans.

Mrs Hopper, who has had 3,110 clients since 1996, said: "We are having our last say. It's farcical. They make us believe our business is an essential area of the development plans. How can we be? We are going to be replaced by three trees.

"They don't want us here."

Castlewood Garage owner Robert Chater, 42, whose business in Love Lane will also be demolished, said: "No amount of compensation will see me through the next 20 to 30 years.

"I'm disgusted the way we have been treated after all the time we have been trading in Woolwich."

A council spokesman said: "We've been working for many years to secure investment and improvements in Woolwich.

"To ensure this can happen, we have had to apply for a compulsory purchase order to cover a number of properties.

"This decision was not taken lightly and we are working with the businesses to secure their relocation."

A Tesco spokesman said: "Greenwich Council has for a long time put in plans to develop their town centre.

"We are involved in the scheme but we only play a very small part of it."