TRADERS fear shoppers are passing them by even though they are yards from a shopping centre.

Businesses in Claypath will call on Durham City Council to put up signs encouraging people to pass their way.

The street, which boasts the Gala Theatre and Clayport Library, is near the busy Market Place and Prince Bishops Shopping Centre.

But traders in the street, which has received substantial investment from private landlords in recent years, are worried that it is not attracting enough shoppers.

They have held a meeting to discuss the problem and plan to ask the city council to raise Claypath's profile.

Colin Wilkes, of the Durham Markets Company, which runs The Food Shop, in Claypath, said: "Talking to other shopkeepers, the general grumble is that we don't get the amount of passing trade we would like in order to support our shops.

"We felt we should get together to see if we could promote Claypath.

"We are trying to get across to people that the image of Claypath has improved immeasurably in the past five years and now has an awful lot of good speciality shops, pubs and restaurants.''

Mr Wilkes said Claypath had been a main route into the city and was a thriving trading area, yet was "a bit of a hidden treasure" even with local people.

He said: "We are worried that spiral from regeneration to degeneration could start again."