Angry shopkeepers in James Street are to complain to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott about Bradford Council's handling of the Rawson Market crisis.

They have also protested that the Council has ignored their pleas for help as businesses close around them.

Bradford Council pledged last week to launch an urgent action plan to stop the shopping area around the market from becoming a "ghost town".

A survey by the T&A last week showed 12 businesses in streets around the old Rawson Market site had pulled the shutters down.

And more than 40 businesses in the temporary Rawson Market, Johnson Street Market, and James Street fish market have called it a day.

Many businesses blame the closure of the old market more than two years ago to make way for a £6 million improvement scheme for the problems.

Rawson Market traders also say the £1.2m temporary unit provided for them by the Council is in the wrong location.

The hard-hit businesses say they have all been affected by lack of passing trade.

The market improvement scheme has been delayed because it hinges on the sale of the Vicar Lane car park to a leisure developer for a planned multi-million pound scheme.

The refurbishment was expected to have been completed by now but not a brick has been laid.

The Council is allowing the Rawson and James Street market traders to use their premises rent-free during the difficulties.

But today the shopkeepers in James Street said they had asked the Council for similar concessions and been ignored.

Florist John Hardaker, speaking for an action group of shopkeepers, said they were contacting Mr Prescott, Secretary of State for Transport and the Environment, to highlight the problems.

The traders are also writing to West Yorkshire Euro MP Barry Seal to see if there can be any help for the area.

Mr Hardaker said the Council had told them that James Street was still a successful street and units falling empty were being filled.

But Mr Hardaker said the count of shoppers had been taken at lunchtime and had given a wrong impression.

He said: "Shopkeepers put the problems down to the market closure and the level of rents beings charged by the Council at a time when trading is very difficult."

Hairdresser Stephen Shackleton said Council rents varied from about £6,000 to £7,500 over a year. A number of people had gone bust and others were "hanging on by the skin of their teeth".Council leader Councillor Ian Greenwood said all correspondence from the shopkeepers had been answered and he would be discussing the situation with them.

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