Prices at Tesco's George Street store in Richmond have risen sharply following a re-branding of the outlet.

It has been changed from a Metro to an Express as part of a wider policy applied to 89 stores across the country that has drawn criticism from residents and MPs.

The price increases, which are claimed to be as much as 15 per cent, are associated with a change in name from Tesco Metro to Tesco Express.

The supermarket said the decision to 'retire' the Tesco Metro brand and switch to Express reflects a change in how shoppers are using its stores, however this explanation has failed to convince customers.

The company argued that most people use Richmond's George Street store for top-up shopping, where its policy is to charge higher prices, rather than for a full weekly shop.

Richmond town centre resident John Brown, who noticed the change after buying a bottle of wine, said: "One day a perfectly acceptable South African Pinotage was its usual price of £3.85. The next day, the same wine on the same shelf display was £4.30 at the till.

"I went back and checked the price display and it had gone up almost 12per cent overnight. The till cashier said it was now Tesco Express charges."

Mr Brown said: "A Hovis small multi seed loaf is now £1 in Tesco when it was cheaper as a Tesco Metro and it's only 85p in Sainsbury's.

"A pack of runner beans - already turning brown/black - were £1.25 but are now £1.65. They are 65p just half a mile down the road in Lidl and £1 in Waitrose just yards away from Tesco Express."

Others accused the retailer of being 'sneaky' and highlighted other increases. For example, a simple mixed salad has gone up from £1 to £1.15.

Mr Brown rejected Tesco's justification for raising prices, saying: "I think they are wrong in their assumption that people only use Tesco Richmond for top up shopping.

"Central Richmond is an amalgam of residential properties, offices and shops. Parking is at a premium, mainly on street parking is the norm. Local people don't do a one stop weekly shop as they would have to move their car from their 'residents parking bays' and drive a short distance to the shops.

"So they do, like me, little and often shopping. The till statistics may be showing people buying a few items at a time but they do so every other day."

He suggested the move will drive away customers, adding: "The only people now benefitting from Tesco Express will be the new Lidl over the bridge and Sainsbury's at Manor Road/Lower Richmond Road as their car park is huge and free."

One impact of the change from Metro to Express is that these outlets no longer match the lower prices at Aldi.

A Tesco spokesperson told Nub News: "Over the last few years, we have seen our customers' shopping habits change and we have taken the decision to re-brand all of our Metro stores to better reflect this.

"Our Metro format was originally designed for larger, weekly shops, but today nearly 70% of customers use them as convenience stores, buying food for that day so the majority of them will be rebranded as Express stores."