The retailers and businessmen behind the ''Kirkcaldy Says No'' campaign plan to inundate Fife Council with objections to the latest step which will see the town centre car park closed and turned into the site of the new swimming pool and leisure centre.

Fife Council has launched a three-week consultation to secure a closure order which would, effectively, remove Tolbooth Street from its list of car parks – the latest stage of the planning process.

But it faces being inundated with thousands of objections.

The 7000-names collected by campaigners will be lodged as formal objections, and this weekend they will be back out on the streets to secure more public backing.

Alistair Cameron, spokesman, urged local folk to make sure their voice was heard.

He said: ''We have already demonstrated the huge strength of public opposition to the loss of the most used car park in the town centre – and we have proved beyond doubt we have the backing of over 95 per cent of retailers.

''But still the Council is not willing to stop and reconsider.

''The pool is a great idea, but the location is wrong. Shopping and swimming simply do not mix.

''Our new slogan is 'Kirkcaldy says no' because that is the feedback we are getting from virtually every quarter of the town. We're now asking people to object to the closure order. It may seem like a small issue, but it is crucial we continue to get our message across to the Council that this is simply the wrong location for the wrong reasons.''

Last week Kirkcaldy Area Committee agreed to start a 21-day consultation period over the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) to take Tolbooth Street off the list of car parks.

It runs for a further fortnight, and campaigners plan to use the time to generate more names in support of their cause. They will be in the High Street this weekend and next handing out leaflets.

All objections will be presented to the committee meeting planned for March 24.