SHOP managers in a Kidderminster centre have sprung to the defence of stallholders given just two weeks to leave - saying they play a key role in drawing shoppers into the complex.

Stallholders in the Rowland Hill Centre were told they had to be out by this Saturday and claim they were not given a reason.

On Tuesday, they collected 213 names on a petition requesting they be allowed to stay until Easter.

Zoe Potter, who manages Claire's Accessories, said she believed children would now start to congregate in the empty spaces, causing trouble.

Staff from the eight outlets who spoke to the Shuttle/Times & News said they did not know - or understand - why the stalls were being pushed out.

Some said they had heard rumours of a refurbishment and a centre spokesman has now confirmed to the Shuttle/Times & News that a revamp is planned.

The stallholders were given their marching orders on Friday, February 4 - just two days after Waitrose announced it was closing its 35-year-old branch in the nearby Swan Centre, sparking fears for the future of the older part of the town.

Shopper, Margaret Wynne, 64, who lives on the Habberley estate, responded to the latest news by saying: "I think they're absolutely killing Kidderminster."

Stallholders said trade had deteriorated since Marks & Spencer left its High Street site to move to the new £60 million Weavers Wharf development. It had been particularly poor since January, they said, but insisted this was no reason for them to go.

Gillian Macchia, deputy manager of clothes store CMD, said the stalls provided a visual attraction and many customers were "devastated".

"Since Marks and Spencer moved it has affected the shops and the fact the stallholders are going means it will be even quieter," said the 44-year-old.

"Unless they do something fast - like give the centre a rapid facelift to bring customers in - the town is split into two, the new part and us, and, if there's nothing going on in the centre, they'll shop over the other side (Weaver's Wharf)."

Carol Pritchard, who has managed the Arden News store for five years, added: "With the number of empty shops in the centre we do feel as a company that losing more traders would have a detrimental effect on our business.

"The stalls bring a lot of customers into the centre."

Stallholder, Barbara Panting, who has been selling net curtains and blinds from the centre for 13 months after she was displaced by the closure of Kidderminster Indoor Market, where she traded for 32 years, said it was "another nail in the coffin" of the town.

She added she would have to go and work with her husband on Bromsgrove market because there was nowhere else in Kidderminster.

Fred Doody, who has two sons and a wife to support, added he faced the dole because he had been unable to find another base for his video and DVD stall.

Stourport 47-year-old, Rebecca Todd, who has been selling silk flowers from her centre stall for almost five years, said none of the stalls held leases or contracts but that it was unfair to be asked to leave so close to Mother's Day.

"Trade has been really poor all year and I'm going out now at the only time when I might make some money."

Steve Hadfield, associate director of managing agents Jones Lang LaSalle, confirmed the stallholders had been given two weeks to leave and that a refurbishment was planned.

He went on: "I can confirm that there is a refurbishment planned but the details haven't been made public."

He said the refurbishment was "part of the reason why the traders had been told to leave", but declined to comment further.