A dozen members of Cymdeithas yr Iaith refused to pay for goods in the Marks and Spencers store in Trostre, Llanelli today (Saturday 11th December), leaving their goods in the shopping trolleys and walking out. Posters were placed on the trolleys saying: "I intended to purchase these products today but as the company shows such lack of respect for the Welsh language I've changed my mind."The protest today recreates a protest held in 1995 against the company's lacking Welsh language policy. In 1994 a Marks & Spencer store was opened in Vaughan Street, Llanelli and many people from Llanelli and the surrounding area were highly disappointed when English only signs were placed in the Food Department. Many people visited the Manager, and letters were written to him and the main office repeatedly about the company's lack of Welsh language signs, but no positive responses were received. So, in June 1995 a number of people decided to protest and campaign by filling their trolleys with goods and then refusing to buy them. The protest was successful and a few months later bilingual signs were placed in the shop.In recent years Marks and Spencers have moved out to Trostre Park, but instead of learning from past mistakes, M & S decided to insult the Welsh language and local people once again by placing English only signs in the Food Hall.Hazel Evans who took part in the original protest in 1995 and whose a member of the local group of Cymdeithas yr Iaith stated:"This time, as before, a large number of people have asked to speak to the manager about the issue and several members of Cymdeithas yr Iaith and branches of Merched y Wawr have sent letters to the Company over a year and a half or more, but no one has received a response, let alone support. So, today, on Saturday the 11th of December, 2010, we have been forced to protest again."

"It's heartbreaking, after we won this battle in the 90s that we again have to fight for something as basic as bilingual signs in a shop which serves a community where more than half of the population speak Welsh."Ceri Phillips, Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith's 'Language Rights' group said:"This is a clear example of the need for a new Welsh language legislation that will include the private sector; especially the shops on the high street. It is of utmost importance that we normalize the language and make it visually equal to the English language. We constantly read about the huge increase in the provision of Welsh medium education. But if these pupils from non-Welsh speaking families do not see the language outside the class, the Welsh language will be seen as a language of the classroom only. There is a responsibility on our government to push for expanding the ambit of the Welsh language measure to include the private sector to provide a true opportunity to realize their promise in the 'Iaith Pawb' document of creating a bilingual Wales."