Upmarket supermarket firm Waitrose today ruled itself out of the race to win the prized Broadmeadow redevelopment site in Teignmouth.

Ahead of Monday's expected announcement by Teignbridge Council, an event that is set to reveal the identity of the successful bidder, Waitrose headed off speculation that it might have come out on top.

The company had been identified as a potential candidate as far back as October 2006 - a fact revealed exclusively by this newspaper - when Teignbridge leader Cllr Alan Connett described the store's possible involvement with the restoration of the contaminated sports pitches as 'the golden goose'.

But now Waitrose has confirmed that whichever supermarket has finally laid the golden egg, it won't be them.

A spokesman told the Teignmouth Post today: 'We have been keen to come to Teignmouth for some time as part of our ambitions to increase our presence in the south west and have explored the possibility of being involved in the Broadmeadow development.

'Despite our best efforts we have sadly not been able to find a commercially sustainable scheme that will enable us with confidence to deliver secure employment to local people and make a positive, long-term contribution to the town's retail. 'It is therefore with disappointment that we are not able to progress our interest in Broadmeadow.'

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