ANGRY Gungate shop owners have slammed town officials for putting 'money making schemes' before the future of town centre retail in Tamworth.

Annette Bates, owner of Nala tattoo parlour, and Lorraine Jordan, from the Lily Leaf beauty salon, have been ordered to move their promotional A-boards closer to their shop walls and pay £75 to the council to register them as part of its street licensing scheme – but they are both refusing to do so.

Annette has also been told her A-board is too big and does not comply with legislation.

Both longstanding traders in the town are frustrated by Tamworth Borough Council's 'lack of support' for what they call a 'struggling' part of the town.

"Since this has been going on I've been seeing all these empty shops and wondering what's going on," said Annette.

"It doesn't seem the local council is helping our businesses one bit.

"People can't be bothered to walk to this end of town.

"I've paid £200 for my A-board so everyone can see it from the end of the road – so people will know we are here.

"They'll just come and take it away and then no one will see our business is here.

"People say to us that Tamworth is dead, there's nothing here anymore."

For an in-depth version of this story and more local news, sport and pictures, see the January 1 edition of the Tamworth Herald, in the shops now.