A decision by a north London Budgens owner to stop selling the News of the World (NotW) for “the forseeable future” has prompted other retailers to follow suit.

Andrew Thornton, owner of Thornton’s Budgens in Belzise Park and Crouch End, is urging retailers and consumers to boycott the NotW in the wake of the hacking scandal. “The NotW needs to suffer consequences for their appalling behaviour,” he said.

He told C-Store that he decided to start the ball rolling after seeing companies pull their advertising from this Sunday's issue. “We’re a community retailer, and people who have been affected by the hacking live in our communities,” he said. “We have to take a stand.”

One lady said she would start doing her weekly shop in his store as a result of his decision, Andrew said. “I’m obviously not doing this to gain customers, but the reaction has been incredibly positive.”

Cambridgeshire retailer Jonathan James has also opted to stop selling NotW in his six stores after receiving an email from Andrew. "I agree with the stance he's taken. We'll  suspend sales for the forseeable future," he said.

Nav Aggarwal, owner of five LocoEspresso convenience stores in Cambridgeshire and Essex, will reportedly stop selling NotW because one of his stores is near Soham, where Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were murdered.