WITH reference to your front page story on October 30, I have to respond to the whingeing traders of Bewdley.

It seems to me that many shopkeepers in Bewdley take every opportunity to blame the flood works for lost trade in order to gain large amounts of compensation when they should, in fact, be looking at themselves.

Are Bewdley shops actually supplying what their customers want? Frequently goods are out of stock, lack variety, shops are not particularly clean, almost all are in need of exterior decoration, and the streets are full of litter - perhaps this is the reason people prefer to visit other local market towns !

Seemingly those businesses giving the visitors what they want - fish and chips - have no complaints.

Maybe the traders of Bewdley should look at themselves first before laying blame at every other door for their shortcomings.

JENNY MANLEY

Severnside South

Bewdley