SHOPPERS fear part of Leigh’s commercial centre is fading fast – with five shops closing within four months.

Wild About Art, in Elm Road, the Mod-Art gallery and Leigh Fruits greengrocers, both in Rectory Grove, and the Art House art shop, in Broadway West, have all gone since October.

Now the family-run Popular Restaurant, also in Broadway West, has gone under, after more than 60 years of trading.

Worried shopper Audrey Eley, 43, said: “I’m deeply saddened to see a family business close like this.

“It has served so many people in the community, from all generations. It appealed to everyone. It had a lovely feel and was very unusual.”

The restaurant was refurbished just five years ago when a nephew of the original owner took it on, but in recent years has been temporarily closed its doors several times.

Mum-of-two Mrs Eley, of Marine Avenue, Leigh, fears the shops and flats development planned for the former Cliffsea Cars showroom site in Rectory Grove will only add to the problem.

She said: “It will only offer small shops because it’s not a big building and it’s in an area where well-established shops are already struggling.

“I’m worried we’ll just end up with a kebab shop or something else we don’t need.”

Richard Green, who runs Green’s Health Foods in Rectory Grove with wife, Jane, said long-established niche businesses tended to be well supported.

He added: “I count my blessings every day, because we have a lot of support.

“A lot of the products we sell are available in supermarkets, but people still chose to come in and see us to talk to us about what they are buying.

“It’s hard for small businesses, but it does depend on the type of business. Leigh is very well served with bars, restaurants and restaurants, which probably didn’t help the Popular Restaurant. It’s the survival of the fittest really.”

However, Leigh Town Council chairman Pat Holden took a more optimistic view.

She explained: “I think we still have something special going on in Leigh which will help us to cope with the recession.

“Obviously, for towns like this, when people are spending less shops do struggle, but I hope Leigh still has that special something to offer and so can hang in there.”