A veteran Bradford retailer has threatened to close one of his city centre shops a year after investing £30,000 in refurbishing the business, unless trade improves.

Jeff Frankel, former chairman of Bradford Retail Action Group, who has traded in the city for 36 years, said Fowler and Oldfield The Jewellers, in Kirkgate, could follow Goldsmiths, owners of the former Fattorini store, in closing down.

Mr Frankel, who also owns Sydneys The Jewellers in the Oastler Shopping Centre, said he would be forced to consider closing Fowler & Oldfield, which has been trading since 1897, if footfall in the city centre continued to decline.

He said: “We’re taking it a day at a time and hoping that things will improve for ourselves and other traders. It would be a great shame if we were to close a business that opened in Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee year as we celebrate the Queen's 60 year reign.

“We put our faith in Bradford by refurbishing the Fowler & Oldfield store and restocking with quality goods. It would be tragic if the city centre could not sustain one of the last remaining quality jewellers in town.”

Mr Frankel criticised councillors for agreeing to impose more parking charges, saying the lack of free parking drove people away from Bradford.

He said: “Councillors claim that parking charges are not the issue in damaging city centre shopping, but you’ve only got to look at places where there is free parking, such as Forster Square, to see that it does draw people in.

“For instance, I don’t think the fact that after 2pm, you get two hours’ free parking in the Oastler Centre has been publicised enough.

“The closure of the former Fattorini’s shop, along with Goldsmiths’ other branch last year, are the latest nails in the coffin for Bradford city centre. Rather than taking decisions that will only keep more people away, the powers-that-be should focus on attracting people in and that needs more than a £20 million water pool.”

“The state of Bradford city centre at the moment reminds me of an old person who has a lot of history but not much future. If more people stay away, then more businesses will suffer and the city centre will become a ghost town with pound shops, betting shops and not much else to offer.”

Conways Toymaster is one of the latest businesses to shut up shop in the city centre.

It leaves a red, shuttered exterior with no signage, at its former premises near the Oastler Centre.

The indepenent toyshop has its head office in Keighley.