'Lychgate work is hindering trade'

Staff at Country Casuals Ltd, which is also in the Lychgate centre, say customers have been concerned that the clothes store is shutting up shop.

"People looking at the scaffolding think we are not open any more because of the boards this end," said Sheila Smith, deputy manageress of the store.

"People keep saying 'are you closing'. They think that we're going to be knocked down.

"It's quite dark in here now, and since the work started the numbers of customers have gone down.

"The fashion business has slowed down in general, but we can tell by sales that our numbers have gone down."

Another store nearby, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, also said that work had affected its trade, but only briefly.

"When the scaffolding first went up it affected us for a week," said Edward Davies, assistant manager at the store. "The first day was a concern as we thought this was going to set the trend.

"But for the past few weeks trade has been steady.

"One of our doors is on the Worcester Cathedral side so people tend to come in from that side."

John Kendrick, centre manager for Lychgate, said the scaffolding would be up for only another six to seven weeks.

"Everything is on schedule and it's going very well," he said. "The beginning phase is always major."

Chris Harvey, head of membership and representations at The Chamber of Commerce, said it had received no complaints from traders.

The development, which will create six new fashion stores, is due to be finished at the end of the summer.

The centre owner, Tops Estates plc, started work on the 1960s development during January this year and plans for the centre include a 365-space car park.

Existing retailers, including Sainsbury's, Monsoon, Jae-ger and Top Shop, will all survive, though Russell & Dorrell, a bedrock of Worcester shopping, has closed for good.

Fashion retailer Next is set to be the anchor store for the new development.