Shoppers in Milton Keynes and elsewhere sign petition criticising self service tills in supermarkets

The petition, launched on Change.org, urged the supermarket giant to ‘stop the replacement of people by machines’ and has already gathered more than 120,000 signatures, including people from MK.

Pat McCarthy, 69, organised the campaign because she believes self service tills are not accessible for people who don't have credit cards or for those with little confidence to use them.

She said: “What used to be a great shopping experience has now become physically difficult, overwhelming, and a nightmare.

“At my local Tesco megastore, and probably all over the country, Tesco is bringing in new self-service and sort-it-out-yourself card only till machines. They make up two thirds of the tills now.”

Pat added: "People such as carers, older people, disabled people with mobility problems or lifting problems have to queue waiting for more than 30 minutes.

“They've replaced checkout staff with these new self-service-card-only tills (SSCOTs).”

One shopper from MK, who was quick to sign the petition, feels there should be more human checkouts at all supermarkets, not just Tesco.

The man, called Mark A, said: “I shopped at Asda in Bletchley today and there were only two human manned checkouts open, despite massive queues. It took me 24 minutes from joining the queue to saying hello to the cashier.

“This is a super-store… it’s massive… why are there only two checkouts open?”

Mark said most other ASDA customers in the queue were complaining too. But when he asked an assistant if more “human” tills could be open, his request was refused.

Meanwhile Pat said: "I love chatting with the staff, albeit briefly, especially as l live on my own. Talking with human staff is important to me. Now that experience has been taken away."

She said she found the self service tills physically difficult and taxing to use.

However, some people have disagreed with her views.

One man wrote under the petition: “In all due respects to the petitioner, I to am 78 but manage these okay . For people unable to use this method of payment , go to the normal tills. It's called progress - and it isn't just Tesco.”

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