High street's shops 'struggling'

Kings Heath has lost several stores over the last few months

Traders on a West Midlands high street have said that up to a third of the shops there are struggling amid the economic downturn.

Kings Heath, in Birmingham, recently saw its Woolworths and Rosebys stores shut. Its Adams shop has remained open but McDonald's there shut in November.

Its business association has warned more will shut this year.

Butcher Stan Hems, of the Kings Heath Business Association, said many traders had reported a disappointing Christmas.

He said up to a third of its businesses were "really worried" about the future.

Mr Hems said many reported that trade had never been so bad.

He said: "We've got 200 to 300 members of the business association and at least a third of them are really worried about the next few months."

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Big name brands like Woolworths and Adams have been forced to closed down