CANVEY town centre is dying because of "extortionate" rents imposed on businesses, it has been claimed.

Mike Machin, chairman of Canvey Town Centre Traders' Association, said the rate of shop closures in the heart of the town had accelerated significantly in the past six months.

He estimated at least 10 per cent of business premises in the Knightswick Centre were now unoccupied.

Mr Machin, 63, who retired from his electronics business in the town centre in June, said: "It is all down to greedy landlords.

"Even at Christmas, shops were closing. A video store and a clothes shop have gone and others will follow.

"They have split larger units into smaller ones, but they are still empty because the rents are just too much.

"They won't attract large businesses to this area. It is a community area with community shops, and people just can't afford this.

"They have just got fed up with it and are gradually migrating."

Robert Nash, owner of Nash's Butchers, was one of the first businessmen to move.

He had been in the town centre for 25 years when he decided to call it quits five years ago because of rising rents. Mr Nash, who has relocated to Long Road, said: "I am glad we are out of it. The rents were going up and up all the time, then our lease came up for renewal.

"We got out rather than pay what they were asking. The shop next to us was being asked to cough up £80,000 a year and we would have had to pay £40,000."

Norman Smith, Castle Point councillor responsible for regeneration, said it was a problem also affecting Hadleigh and was a priority for the council.

He said: "We are looking at a project to completely redesign the area and Hadleigh.

"We recognise they are both dying town centres and something needs to be done. It is no good just having banks, building societies and charity shops. Rents are too high for start-up businesses.

"We can make representations, but really that's all we can do, because it is market driven.

"But if we are seen to be behind the town centres, that might encourage businesses to come back to the area."

The Knightswick Centre, which houses a large proportion of town centre businesses, is owned by Thameside Metropolitan Borough Council's pension fund.

The Echo contacted Thameside for comment, but it did not respond.