ANGRY shopkeepers still reeling from the affects of flooding and foot and mouth have slammed Upton Town Council for allowing the Memorial Hall to be hired by a bankrupt stock dealer.

Pudsey-based liquidation firm David Warren Ltd sold clothes, jewellery, towels, sportswear and leather goods at very low prices from the Old Street hall last Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Marjorie Shinn, of Shinn's country clothing and menswear opposite the hall, said the discount sales were harming her business.

"I'm astonished that a public building could be used for the sale of liquidation stock covering the goods sold by many of the shops in the town," she said.

"Does the town council have any interest in the town remaining as it is? Or does it want the shops to close down and have a street full of empty shops?"

Ann Manning, of Old Street jewellers D Manning, said she was particularly upset that the liquidation sale was taking place on a Friday and Saturday, the town's two busiest days.

"I think it's appalling," she said. "It shouldn't be allowed."

Alan Julier, of Ye Olde Upton Delicatessen on Old Street, also voiced opposition to such sales. "They don't bring trade into the town, they take it out," he said.

Margaret Dovey, of Gifted, a gift shop further down the road, said: "We've had a bad 12 months and we could really do without that.

"The town council has been really negative to us. It doesn't support the town and the businesses in the town."

However, Coun Simon Wilkinson pointed out that money from letting the hall reduced the burden on domestic ratepayers.

"The town council has its expenses met by the domestic ratepayers of the town," he said.

"We don't see anything of the business rates or anything like that."

Former mayor Roger Barker said there was no policy that dictated who could or could not hire the hall, so a similar sale could be held again.

He argued that although the competition might be hard for the town's traders, it was good for its shoppers.