TRADERS have blasted City of York Council, saying it has allowed a major historic street to turn into a "ghetto" full of empty shops, drug users and rubbish.

Paul Abbott, who has run Micklegate Post Office for the last four years, says Micklegate has become a neglected eyesore with piles of uncollected rubbish littering the street and scores of empty shops and offices. "We came here four years ago and it was great. There was a good atmosphere and it was clean," he said.

"Now it's become a ghetto. Micklegate Bar is part of England's history, but if the Queen came tomorrow, what would she say? "It's so shameful."

He said many of the buildings in Micklegate were practically empty with businesses abandoning both the ground floor shops and the offices above and moving out to Clifton Moor. "The character of Micklegate is also moving out with them. Micklegate and this side of York is going to turn into bedsit land," Mr Abbott said.

He said rubbish was often left uncollected by the council and when it was collected it was not removed until lunchtime, giving the street a scruffy appearance all morning.

"I have complained and complained and now I am at a loss. Nobody seems to listen and it's so frustrating," he said.

Sue Smallpage, of carpet and rug store, Hunter and Smallpage, in Micklegate, agreed the street was in decline.

"The council are always neglecting Micklegate. We have already lost trade from Park & Ride as buses no longer come down Micklegate," she said.

"If Micklegate gets even more run down, it will get harder for them to promote York."

Sharon Hudson, of furniture store, the Town House, said: "We feel the council basically don't care about Micklegate. We were the last street to get decent Christmas decorations and the council don't offer any incentives for businesses to come to Micklegate."

Leader of the council Steve Galloway said: "The street environment officers do go down there regularly, but what is required is a complete spring clean of the area. The council will play a part in that, but the traders need to put something in themselves, perhaps through York Business Pride, to clean up the area."

A council spokeswoman said: "Micklegate is included in a number of guides which encourage people to visit certain areas, including the food trail, the church trail and the shopping trail."

The Evening Press reported on Tuesday that Micklegate shopkeepers were frightened that council plans to introduce parking meters in the street could drive them out of business.

Updated: 10:22 Thursday, January 29, 2004