SHOP workers and small businesses in Wiltshire have joined together to fight Government plans to scrap limits on Sunday trading hours and end Sunday premium pay.

The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) has launched a campaign called Save Our Sundays in protest over the plans to extend Sunday trading hours.

In Warminster traders have been contacted and have offered their support to the protest.

Kane Wilson, USDAW representative for Morrisons in Warminster, said: "The De-regulation Bill would spell the end for Sunday premium pay and would have a massive negative impact on family and social life and well-being.

"Sunday is a special day for family and leisure purposes and it needs to be preserved for this reason."

A group made up of representatives from Tesco, Asda and B&Q called The De-Regulate Group has started putting pressure on the Government to relax Sunday trading laws.

Mr Wilson, 18, of Queensway, Warminster, said he had contacted other major retailers in the town, including Iceland, Somerfield, Woolworths and Dixons, and had secured their support for the campaign.

A group of USDAW families went to London on Wednesday to present the union's response to the consultation and protest over the plans, holding banners saying I only see my parents together on Sundays' and My dad takes me to rugby on Sundays'.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in the south west also opposes the plans and has submitted its response to the consultation too.

Marion Mortimer, chairman of the western region FSB, which has more than 7,000 members in Wiltshire and Somerset, said: "This is a huge issue for our region; the UK as a whole has lost 30,000 independent food, beverage and tobacco retailers over the past decade.

"Newsagents in particular are not expected to survive long-term in their current form due to pressure from the supermarkets.

"In a climate where supermarkets get favourable treatment in planning and parking policies, it is important that in Sunday trading the balance is righted ever so slightly by favouring smaller shops.

"Further relaxing of Sunday trading hours for larger stores will inevitably increase still further the pressure on small shops.

"It's time for the Government to give small shops a break and leave Sunday trading laws as they stand."

Since 1994 small shops have been allowed to trade freely on Sundays.