Coca-Cola has launched its first assault on Britain’s bottled water market with Dasani, a filtered water fortified with minerals, but has also banned independent retailers from stocking rival brands of bottled water in its chillers.

Angry retailers have accused Coke, which was responsible for the distribution of Nestlé’s water brands until recently, of “bully boy” tactics in attempting to squeeze rival offerings off shelf.

A spokesman for Coca-Cola said the ban on rival brands only applied to retailers who had been given a free chiller. He said: “We provide our customers with a cooler unit free of charge for the chilled display of Coca-Cola products.

Further details in this week’s issue of The Grocer magazine.