The latest bid to entice shoppers into Shepton Mallet town centre has been unveiled.

Shepton Town Council chairman Jeannette Marsh, accompanied by Tesco assistant store manager Martin Quigley, uncovered the new town shops board at a ceremony at the Townsend Retail Park.

The board, the brainwave of town councillor Derek Marvin, as part of his regeneration scheme for the town, lists the variety of businesses available down in the High Street.

The board is on the wall outside Tesco. Mr Marvin hopes it will persuade regular shoppers at the Townsend Retail Park – where footfall is estimated at 26,000 a week – to venture down the High Street, and Town Street and support the business people there too.

Also present at the unveiling were Rod Thorner from property developers Thorner Homes who sponsored the board, and Mr Kim Wilkinson of HW Signs whose firm at Board Cross, Shepton Mallet made it, and Shepton estate agent Charles Barnard who sponsored 5,000 leaflets Mr Marvin and his team have been distributing to shoppers urging them to support the town centre businesses.

Mrs Marsh said she hoped it would encourage more shoppers to venture into the town centre to support businesses there. She thanked Mr Marvin for his initiative, and Tesco, Mr Thorner, HW Signs and Charles Barnard for their support.

She said: "Cllr Marvin has worked tirelessly on this for the good of our town."

Also present was Pauline Brereton, who has successfully run her Parkway Antiques shop in the town for 32 years.

During her time she has moved shops three times but always stayed in the town centre.

"I have been there over 30 years – and I have no complaints at all. What Derek is doing marvellous – people need to know there is more to Shepton than the Townsend Retail Park."

The prize for the Spot the Odd One Out competition sponsored by the Shepton Journal and supported by 18 shops in the town centre was won by nine-year-old Chloe Taylor.

She wins a family ticket donated by Wookey Hole caves.

The Grand Shoppers' draw saw a host of prizes donated by local traders and businesses.

Mr Marvin said his survey had shown there were 55 different traders in the town – and 50 per cent of them had goods to offer that were not available at the shops in the retail park.

Many town centre traders say their business has plummeted and several shops have been forced to close since Tesco opened.