TRADERS in a shopping centre have vehemently denied rumours that the centre is to close because a leading supermarket chain has moved out.

They fear the rumours could harm trade if they persist, and insist it is business as usual at Bishop Auckland's Newgate Centre.

Town centre manager Ken Wilson said he was concerned that many shoppers had reached the wrong conclusion when the Asda store chain decided to move its store from the centre to the other side of the town.

He said: "Since Asda's departure from the Newgate Centre, on November 10, some shoppers have thought that the centre itself was closing. This is not the case."

The supermarket chain, which has invested £20m in the town, has enjoyed huge success at its 40,000 sq ft store which opened a week ago in South Church Road.

But Asda's management has said the chain remains committed to a £2m facelift for the Newgate Centre, which it owns.

Asda property communications manager Simon Leonard said: "Shoppers are wrongly assuming that the centre is closing down and we need to get the message across that it is business as usual."

He reassured the remaining traders in the centre, which include Argos and Dewhurst Butchers, that disruption will be kept to a minimum during the redevelopment work.

It is believed that a Wilkinsons store will replace the former Asda store. Among other improvements, the escalators will be replaced by glass lifts.

Fears that trade would drop as soon as the Asda store closed have so far proved to be unfounded, according to Sarah Osbourne, of the Raygale Pharmacy, who said: "It appears quiet but so far trade has remained the same. We could maybe do with something on the main street to say that the centre is still open."