A flagship Co-op store hopes to set up a cyber cafe and IT training centre.

Outline proposals for the scheme have been drawn up by the Oxford, Swindon and Gloucester Co-op for their large new store in Carterton.

Initial plans include 23 computers to be set up in an IT learning zone and cafe, within the building at Black Bourton Road, near the town centre crossroads.

The idea has caught the imaginations of Carterton town councillors, who have agreed in principle to support the project.

Town mayor Joe Walcott said: "I think it is a great idea. It is not pie in the sky, they mean business.

"It is something that we would like to see happen and would provide a very useful facility for youngsters in the area."

In other parts of the country supermarkets have pioneered similar cyber cafes through partnerships with local authorities.

The aim is to use the facility for staff training but to open it up for much wider community use. Among the target groups who could be involved are adult learners, mothers who return to work in need of training and young people in the area.

The Co-op say they could offer a range of courses in IT, basic skills and management. It is also exploring opening a new day nursery.

The total cost of the project is estimated at about £400,000 during five years and the Co-op is seeking to involve a range of partners, including local councils, Abingdon and Witney College and Carterton Community Education Centre.