Britain Becomes A Ghost Town Nation As Small Firms Die - Cotter

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 15th Dec 2003

Responding to today's report from the New Economics Foundation, which indicates that Britain has lost a third of its bank branch network over the last decade Brian Cotter MP, Liberal Democrat Small Business Spokesman, said: "Far from being a 'nation of shopkeepers', Britain is fast becoming a country of ghost towns, with the rapid closure of independent shops and businesses on the local high street."

"Small businesses represent the very heart of our communities and provide essential services to local people, particularly the elderly or those without transport who cannot afford to visit out of town shopping centres for their daily needs."

"The Government must take urgent action to help struggling small firms with the burden of red tape and business rates in order to ensure their long term survival."