SAINSBURY'S has defended its decision to appeal against restrictions on night-time deliveries.

Yesterday, residents and councillors who live around the Victoria Road store said they are preparing to fight against the supermarket's appeal.

They say their sleep was disturbed when Sainsbury's introduced night-time deliveries, in defiance of the restrictions, for three months last year.

When the store was built, originally as Safeway, deliveries were banned between 10pm and 7am.

But Sainsbury's head office told The Northern Echo yesterday that 24-hour deliveries were important.

"Night deliveries are necessary," a spokesman said. "They enable our customers to buy fresh food in our stores from the moment we open our doors in the morning.

"It also enables us to avoid peak times on the road, thus reducing our contribution to already congested rush-hour routes, increasing our fuel efficiency and reducing our contribution to CO2 emissions and air quality.

The spokesman said Sainsbury's has invested in quieter roll cages, quieter tail-lifts on delivery vans, and quieter fridges.

Darlington Borough Council's planning committee has not set a date for a decision on Sainsbury's appeal. Residents have until Tuesday, July 3, to make comments to the council.