THE loss of some of the last free car parking spaces in Bewdley town centre has begun to hit businesses on a riverside street as work to lay the groundwork for a flood defence scheme kicks off.

Spaces along Severnside South have started to disappear after gas contractors Amec shut off the main entrance from Bewdley Bridge - the main route onto the street.

It is a sign of things to come as on-street parking will be abolished once the two-and-a-half-year scheme is finished, meaning the loss of about 40 spaces.

Stan Lewis - who said he received 82 out of 84 signatures from traders in the town protesting about the loss of spaces - said the crackdown on access to the street had already begun to hit his fishing shop and guest house.

Vehicles now have to take a detour through the town centre to get to Severnside South via Lax Lane.

Mr Lewis said: "The effect was not so great the first few days because customers came here intending to shop. But once they found out what is going on, they have not come back because they don't want the inconvenience.

"We have had people leave from the guest house before they should do. This is going to affect all of Bewdley - we expect 30,000 to 40,000 less visitors every year because of this."

And John Instance, who runs the Old Bank Craft Studio on Severnside South, said he had already experienced a drop in the number of visitors to his shop.

He said: "A lot of local people who park there are filling spaces which would have been used for visitors. We are losing out on the passing trade as they don't know we are down here."

Sandra Vaux from Redside Vets said she feared elderly customers would have difficulty getting dropped off to the surgery once the digging work swallowed up spaces nearby.

"It is going to affect us very badly," she said.

Amec are working to move a gas main under the street to enable the £7 million flood defence project to go ahead in the spring.