Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker has lent his support to a campaign to save a string of independent shops in Sheffield's Devonshire Quarter.

More than 20,000 people recently signed a petition against proposals to demolish buildings on Devonshire Street, only to have Sheffield City Council vote in favour of a new development of flats. The properties currently house a string of independent retailers, including book and vinyl store Rare & Racy, which Cocker has supported online.

The Sheffield-born singer said: "They ...