Businesses in Man-chester Road, Brad-ford, could be facing closure after extensive roadworks and a lack of parking have deterred shoppers.

Construction of a new guided bus route has restricted traffic to one lane along the road, leaving no room for parking outside the shops.

Liaqat Ali runs the Mobile World phone shop at 712 Manchester Road, and claims that trade is down by more than 80 per cent since parking was suspended two months ago.

He said: "We need something to keep us going. If we don't I can see two or three businesses on this road folding."

Mr Ali is one of 20 traders in the area to have signed a petition calling for a business rate rebate. He added: "The road did need work doing to it. But the problem we're having is that it's affecting us too much. The front of my shop has been blocked off for two months and nothing seems to have been done."

A spokesman for the Council's Business Rates Section said: "We are aware of the concerns of the shopkeepers in the Manchester Road area and are offering them as much assistance as possible.

"Their request for a reduction in business rates has been forwarded to the Valuation Office in Leeds which is responsible for the valuation of all properties in the area.

"The Council has also written to the people who signed the petition to let them know that their payment plan has been adjusted to run over 12 months instead of the usual ten to reduce their monthly instalments while the roadworks are being carried out."

New parking spaces should be built by the end of May, but businesses are struggling in the meantime. Electrical goods retailer Reyner Domestic has seen business drop by 25 per cent.

John Heppenstall, service engineer, said: "Most of our business is now relying on telephone trade."