A market trader has been forced to give up hisstall following shop closures in Kingston market square.

Michael Corgitt has run a pet food stall for 35 years and depends on shoppers being attracted to the high street stores in Kingston Market Square such as WH Smiths.

Mr Corgitt said: “I have definitely been affected by other shops closing like Borders, I have been running the stall for a long time now, shops like Wilkinson’s on the other side of town and Primark attracts all the customers because they sell stuff so cheap.”

With buses dropping people at the other side of town and a decline in passing trade, Mr Corgitt has felt the crippling affect of the fall in passing trade.

“If people were to get off buses here they would be tempted to spend money. Every time one of the major high street shops closes, you are going to lose business” added Mr Corgitt.