Cross Keys

Traders in Lichfield are furious that the crucial Christmas shopping period could once again be hit by disruption and warn it could destroy the city's reputation.

They are set to call for a city centre paving scheme to be delayed until next year to avoid the devastating loss of sales experienced last Christmas when a major car park was closed.

City centre traders were badly hit when the Cross Keys car park was closed last November, reopening this July.

James Jordan of James A. Jordan's Antiques in Conduit Street said: "We lost a couple of really good sales because of the Cross Keys being closed.

"Our main trading time is October, November, December so we were badly affected."

He said it beggared belief that there could be disruption over Christmas for a second year running.

"If we have another bad year it will destroy a lot of businesses who will pull out," he said.

Stuart McCall who runs menswear store Mankind in Tamworth Street and couple Diana and John Gudgeon who own Diana Florist of Lichfield down the road said the city was developing a bad reputation for being difficult to access. "Customers tell me Lichfield is a nightmare to get into," said Mr McCall.