A butcher has said he could be forced to sack his staff if charges at a nearby car park are not lifted soon.

Michael Arnold, of Barkins Butchers in the High Road, Benfleet, said trade had dropped dramatically since the 20p fees were introduced in Richmond Hall Car Park, off Richmond Hall Avenue, Benfleet, in June.

He said: "I am losing so much trade I have had to shop around for cheaper electricity and I have had to reinsure the shop with cheaper insurance. I am now probably under-insured.

"I have taken a big pay cut myself and the only other step I can take is to cut staff.

"I don't want to. One of my staff has a daughter to support but things are getting very bad now and if the council don't lift the charges soon it is something I might have to think of.

"It is even not a question of selling up now. Who will buy a butcher's shop that is losing business?"

Mr Arnold added the car park had been practically empty since Castle Point Council introduced the hourly rates.

He said one Saturday afternoon, which should have been one of the busiest times in the High Street, there were just 11 cars filling the 104-capacity car park.

He said: "The council has said it will monitor the situation and talk to traders and I just hope they do that.

"But I hope they do it soon. The last time charges were introduced in the car park it took us about two years to build up the trade we had lost."

Charges in the car park were first introduced several years ago by the Conservative administration but they were dropped by Labour councillors when they came to power.

The butcher was one of many shopkeepers who handed in their trade figures to leader of the council, Dave Wells, (Lab, St George's) in an effort to persuade members of the highways committee to drop the fees.

Lesley Elmy, co-ordinator of St Mary's Action Group which is campaigning to have the charges lifted, said she hoped councillors would scrap them.

She said: "The car park is practically empty every day of the week. But we have been told councillors will study all the facts before they make a decision on whether to keep the charges or not.

"I hope when they do study the facts they will realise traders are losing out and they will get rid of them."

Deputy leader of the council Dave Blackwell (Lab, Canvey Central) said: "We have been monitoring the situation and we will be discussing it at the special highways meeting when members will make a decision."

A date has been set for the meeting on September 6.

Losing out - as most of Richmond Hall car park's 104 spaces lie empty of vehicles owned by motorists unwilling to pay fees, nearby businesses feel the pinch

Picture: ROBIN WOOSEY

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