A RETAIL expert has poured scorn on a move to split up market traders in Worcester - saying he fears for their future.

Dan Bramwell, who specialises in advice to retailers and the property development sector, says the city faces losing a vital "critical mass" by splitting them around a raft of streets.

As your Worcester News revealed yesterday, the city council has offered Angel Place traders a lifeline by offering them spaces down the High Street, Pump Street, Church Street and Bank Street from this week.

The move is because Angel Place is undergoing a 13-week £555,000 revamp, with the traders previously told they would have nowhere to go.

Mr Bramwell, from Bath-based Bramwell Associates, also said a lot of established Worcester shops will not like market traders directly outside their premises.

"I feel it's detrimental to them, if you split the market traders up you lose that critical mass," he said.

"When you have markets all together, 20 or 30 of them providing that constant offer people tend to use them.

"But if you split them up in various locations and make it an effort they don't.

"I think it weakens the market a lot, it goes back to that critical mass argument.

"A lot of established shops also don't like market traders outside their premises."

The council has moved around 20 market units to the four streets on a temporary basis.

At least two traders will not be a part of the set-up, with one clothes seller turning down a different location and butchers D&M Meats, which has been in Angel Place for 25 years, saying it was not offered one.

The city council has defended the move by saying the disruption is unavoidable during the revamp.

Managing director Duncan Sharkey said: "We have ambitious plans for the future of Angel Place and work to give the area a major revamp is about to begin."

Mr Sharkey has also insisted he is "very confident" that Worcester will benefit from the new-look market, which will be open in time for Christmas trading.