A COMMUNITY leader has told of his fears that out-of-town shopping could lead to "ghost towns" in the region.

David Walsh, leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, welcomed a report highlighting the threat to Britain's small neighbourhood shops, pubs and post offices.

The New Economic Foundation report said that if current trends continue, town, estate and village centre facilities would disappear.

Coun Walsh admitted that, despite projects to protect Redcar, Eston and South Bank, in east Cleveland, there was still work to do elsewhere.

The study showed that between 1995 and 2000, Britain lost 30,000 local outlets - about a fifth of its corner shops, grocers, high street banks, post offices and pubs.

And it predicts that another 28,000 outlets may close.

The report lays the blame on large supermarket chains and out-of-town retail parks.

Coun Walsh said: "This report is timely. In a borough like Redcar and Cleveland, which is made up of small towns, large estates and villages, the need for local shops and local services is paramount.

"A constant problem is the fact that, in many of these centres, we have vacant shops, pubs and banks, deserted by their former owners. These properties all too often become down at heel and vandalised and effectively downgrade the entire area."

He added: "This is a good report and one which meshes with our own activities. In recent years we have been criticised for fighting against out-of-town developments, but this is a stance we have taken to simply protect our existing town centres."