TRADERS on Blackpool's Queen Street say their businesses are being strangled by years of regeneration and rebuilding work.

Margaret Barrett, of Bodytalk ladies' lingerie and swimwear and Debbie Rowlands of Standerwicks (China and Glass) say the latest work -- on offices above The Littern Tree pub -- is the final straw.

It began, without warning, last week-- just a few months after work ended to convert the former Funny Girls venue into a Walkabout bar.

Queen Street's regeneration has been going on almost continuously since 1995, when the end of the street was first blocked off to traffic.

Since then, work has been almost continuous, which, critics say, has kept customers away and failed to return Queen Street to its former status as an upmarket shopping area.

"We used to have passing trade on this street," said Debbie, whose family firm has been trading on Queen Street for 60 years: "They used to bring the coaches here and there was a taxi rank at the end of the street."

"Nobody knows about Queen Street any more. If you talk to older people, they will tell you how high class Queen Street used to be -- people felt they had to dress up to come here."

Blackpool Borough Council announced in 1993 that it would be regenerating Queen Street, with an emphasis on high quality retailing.

"The artists impression was lovely," said Margaret, who has been trading on Queen Street since 1980: "It was like Lord Street in Southport, that is what they were aiming for, but that is not what has happened.

"It is a very shabby way to treat us, to allow this to happen. We have had people in this year who didn't really know that we existed.

"This is the time of year when we start to get busy. I invested a lot of money in stock this year -- if I had known what was happening, I wouldn't have bothered."

A Blackpool Council spokesman said: "The current refurbishment work is due to continue until July. The town centre manager has spoken to the construction agents to see how they can liaise with Queen Street businesses to best promote themselves throughout the construction period."