A TRADING boss fears that unless new space is found for big shops in Blackburn town centre they may all switch to a different site.

Ronnie O'Keeffe, president of the Blackburn and District Chamber of Trade, spoke out after calls for shopping centre owners Standard Life to demolish parts of rundown Lord Square.

Mr O'Keeffe fears the lack of large store space in the town centre may drive big new national firms onto to the Townsmoor Retail Park, beyond the Darwen Street bridge.

Mr O'Keeffe said: "We need to have an attractive town centre with space for big shops to move into.

"Otherwise, they will just move on to places like Townsmoor and that will become the focus for shoppers.

"That would be bad for the town because the smaller traders would be left high and dry."

However, he fears that a catch-22 situation is developing around Lord Square.

He said: "More shops have gone into Lord Square but only because the rent is so low.

"I don't know if they could afford to stay if the rent was put up and Standard Life say they need to do that to pay for the changes."

Mr O'Keeffe added: "When they look at what they are doing, they have to consider what the big multiples want as well because if they stop coming here, we will struggle."

Council bosses are now calling for Lord Square to be demolished, while leaders of the Chamber of Commerce are calling for Standard Life to sell it on if they refuse to be bold and develop on there.

Traders have also called for it to be improved, fearing that its poor state will lead to the whole regeneration of Blackburn town centre coming to a halt.