DEVASTATED owners of a popular family grocery store in Kidderminster say council works in the town have killed their business and forced them to close.

Three Lions Food Company, on Vicar Street, shut up shop on Wednesday, August 3, after 34 years of trading in the town, citing "disruption due to the paving works" for its grim demise.

It becomes the second shop in the space of three months to claim it has fallen victim to Wyre Forest District Council’s £2million project designed to boost the town centre.

Its sudden liquidation was announced in a closure notice posted in its front window on its final day of trading.

Owners claimed works left them with "no choice but to liquidate a family business that has been running for over 100 years".

Shop manager Chris Sturman said he had put in £80,000 of his own money into the company which also had shops in Northfield and Dudley.

But he said the drop in takings meant all three shops had to be closed, resulting in the loss of 30 jobs including 10 at Kidderminster.

Regeneration bosses at the district council said it was "disappointing" to see the store close, but added nobody from the company contacted them about the works.

Mr Sturman, 49, said: "The council started having the paving in the high street 12 months ago and they have had to do it all again.

"People cannot park in the town and they cannot get into the town which means the takings have just dropped and dropped. They have gone down 30 per cent.

"It has just killed us. I cannot keep living like this. I cannot keep putting money in.

"Our average weekly takings used to be around £18,000 and we saw it drop down to £12,000. We could not pay the bills so had to make that decision.

"They have killed me and they have killed the little shops. The rates are too high.

"It is heart-breaking as we have been in the town for 34 years and we have been running as a company for over 100 years.

"It is the end of an era for us. For the Sturman family this is all we have known.

"For years and years it has been a flagship shop but the footfall in the town is not there."

Haberdashery shop Top Stitchers also closed in June after its owner said the closure of Exchange Street in January for improvement works had put customers off from visiting.

Councillor Tracey Onslow, the district council’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Regeneration, said: "It is always disappointing to see a store close in the town, especially just as the council is investing so much money in improvements.

"We cannot comment on the reasons why this shop has closed but we can confirm the trader did not approach us to discuss any concerns they had regarding the public realm works.

"Although it has contributed to the overall length of time taken to complete the works, our contractors have done their utmost to make sure that access is available to all shops during business hours and that they can continue trading as normal.

"We are disappointed that the business has left this note in their window without discussing the matter with us first."

Kidderminster residents and loyal customers to the green grocers have been left shocked by the loss of the store.

Bob Abbiss, 77, said: "It is such a shame as it was well used by people. It was always busy and we have just lost it. The heart has gone out of this town."

Ann Sanders, 76, said: "I will really miss it. It is a shame as it was a thriving business. What are we going to have left?"

Pauline Davis, 72, said: "I’m flabbergasted. I thought it was doing a good trade. I will miss being able to come here. It is yet another empty shop in Kidderminster."

Lewis William, 56, said: "It has been a great little shop. I cannot believe it. We have not got anything left."