IT was not so much a gauntlet, more a cosy woollen mitten that Newport councillors gathering for their full meeting ran yesterday morning.

Impeccably behaved placard-carrying members of The Voice of Pill Action Group clustered round the entrance to the Civic Centre, greeting councillors as they hurried past carrying papers and agendas.

"It's a very good-natured protest. All we are interested in is getting our point across," Darren Stockton, managing director of Cambrian Fuel Card Services and spokesman for the Pill traders' and resident'' group, said.

"We are pressing for a supermarket to be built in the middle of the old cattle market site in Pill.

"The supermarket plan would bring prosperity right to the heart of Pill. A rival plan to build one at Old Town Dock would have the opposite effect of taking business away.

"This is a unique opportunity to win 400 jobs and reverse the decline in Pill's fortunes." The mayor of Newport, Councillor Bob Poole, emerged on the stroke of 9.45am yesterday to greet protesters and receive a 2,018-name petition.

The signatories called on the council to back the commercial development of the site and stated their opposition to any future housing development. As things stand, there is only a plan lodged with the council for a supermarket.

Mr Jan Preece, VOP committee member and curator of Pill Heritage Centre, was among the 50 demonstrators.

"Pill has been neglected ever since they began tearing the first houses down four decades ago," he said.

A city council spokeswoman said: "The application for a supermarket at the old cattle market will be considered at the council's planning meeting on February 5 along with other proposals."

Only one incident spoiled the mood of bonhomie. One individual entering the Civic Centre turned on protesters and said: "I'm ashamed of you. You are only thinking about what's good for yourself, not what's good for Newport."

After he had disappeared, Mr Stockton remarked: "I don't think that was called for. It's all been terribly polite. We are trying to tap the reservoir of goodwill we think exists for our case."