THE sudden collapse of a side wall and gable end at the Ilkley branch of Lloyds Bank, evening, has made a severe dent in some traders' takings, it has been claimed.

Piles of masonry and old Yorkshire stone thundered through the back of the building on Tuesday evening last week at the bank's premises.

Emergency crews launched an immediate operation while shocked bystanders spoke of their relief that the incident - which happened at night - had not claimed any lives

Chunks of masonry destroyed the staff toilets, cloakroom and computer unit - and experts took several days to get the computers back on line.

But some Ilkley traders fear the incident may have also led to a drop in their takings because a vital town centre route was sealed off as safety experts and engineers worked to make the area safe.

They say visitors were left in the dark about how to get into the town centre car park because of the closure of West Street. And they are angry that business took a dive on what should have been peak days.

Kevin O'Malley, manager and owner of Fifth Avenue Clothes Shop is angry that his takings plunged by 50 per cent the following day, despite glorious weather conditions which should have pulled in visitors.

He said: "It's affecting every business - half of the car park is empty. The crux of it is that if they are going to close the road for two days, there should be a diversion.

"If a visitor can't get in, they will go to Skipton or to Otley. It was a lovely day, but trade was affected by 50 per cent due to the fact that no thought was given to the traders or the car parking. It was simply closed off and that was it.

"It's the start of the tourist season - and they close the road for two days."

His concerns are backed by Diane Czajkowski, manageress of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill. She said: "It has affected our trade. It is such a hassle to go up Brook Street and along The Grove.

"There should be people working to get the road back open very quickly. Ilkley does not stop at The Grove and Brook Street."

And she called for diversion signs to be put up to keep trade in Ilkley if a vital route ever closed again.

At Lloyds Bank, assistant manager Wendy Binns, said service was back to normal on Tuesday morning, although staff had remained on hand last week to advise customers,

She said: "We were all relieved that we weren't in there - if we had been in the 'Ladies' it could have been awful.

A spokeswoman for Lloyds Bank said: "Repairs will take a couple of months. It is too early in the process to say how much they will cost, but it is substantial."

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