BUILDING work is crippling our business. That's the message from angry traders in a Southampton district who've seen business plummet by more than half in recent months.

They're now issuing an urgent plea to shoppers - return to Shirley precinct before it's too late.

The multi-million-pound revamp of the area, including an 'S for Shirley' public art seating plan and a new Sainsbury's store, is on course for completion next spring, but stores are feeling the pinch as shoppers avoid the parking chaos and head elsewhere. Terri Jenkings, who runs Little Angels pram shop with husband Don, said: "On Saturday we took £300 and it should have been ten times that at this time of year.

"We're losing customers hand over fist and it's because they don't know we're still open. We've got scaffolding up outside our shop and there's building work going on around us. It looks like we've closed down but we haven't."

She wants Sainsbury's, carrying out the precinct development, to put up billboards advertising that the shops are still open.

"Last week our takings were down 73 per cent. It's serious now, we are struggling," she said.

In the post office and newsagent, a few doors down, sub-postmaster Hitesh Patel was heading towards a similar crisis.

"There's definitely been a downturn in trade - up to 45 per cent I'd say. The whole thing is a shambles," he said.

Eventually, the redeveloped precinct will boast a 235-space car park at the rear, a refurbished library and housing office and a stylish piazza overlooked by a glass tower.

A Sainsbury's spokesman said compensation contracts had been drawn up with precinct stores before work started. She added: "We have a project manager who visits the site every fortnight to talk to traders. He will be looking into erecting a sign in the piazza about the shops in the area."