A Reading shopkeeper has said that businesses are struggling to make ends meet after a major town centre fire wiped out 85% of passing trade in Union Street.

Known to many locals as Smelly Alley, the street runs as a short-cut between Friar Street and Broad Street.

However, following the destructive fire on Friday, May 26, that tore through the C Mart building in Friar Street the cut-through has been closed off. 

The alley is closed at one end, closest to Friar Street, leaving businesses along Union street at a loss without the usual level of passing trade.

Gurdeep Singh Wadwa, owner of Expert Phones and Workshop, said without the footfall that comes from people walking to and from the town centre he is worried about the future of his business.

He said: "Everyone here has seen business drastically suffer because people are either choosing not to travel down the alley or they think the entire street is closed.

“I only made £75 of sales yesterday. That doesn’t even cover my electric to open for the day and it’s just unheard of. I really think this fire is going to kill some of us.

“I have been receiving calls from customers asking whether we have closed because of the fire and the council are giving us no guidance at all.”

Although most of the unaffected nearby shops opened a few days after the fire, shoppers have been left confused over the street’s current situation.

Gurdeep, who has owned his shop for 14 years, has seen the same happen to his neighbours up and down the street.

He added: “People are creatures of habit. If they start to avoid Union Street, thinking it is closed, then they will continue to avoid it even when the Friar Street entrance opens again.

 “This is frustrating, especially when we haven’t had any communication with the council. We just want to know what’s happening so that each shop is able to communicate that to their customers.

“Union Street has always been a good place for a business because people take the shortcut to make their journey easier. That is where most of my trade comes from. Without the passing flow of customers, it is worrying."

Another shop owner on Union Street, Khuram Shehzad said: “The council really haven’t done enough to let people know that Union Street is still open.

“Most of our business has disappeared however it has been worse for some shop owners than others.”

Reading Borough Council said that although most of Union Street is open for business, the barriers will remain at the Friar Street entrance to prevent injury from falling and loose debris on the buildings that were affected most from the fire.