A SPECIALITY food shop has become the latest victim of the struggle to attract trade to a feeder road into a city centre.

The Food Shop, which opened in Claypath, Durham, in February 2003, is closing at the end of the week.

Run by the Durham Markets' Company, it offered mainly locally-sourced farm produce, akin to a High Street version of a farmers' market.

Company managing director Colin Wilkes said it was merely down to a lack of custom that the decision was taken to close the premises.

"It's only a short distance from the centre of Durham, yet it might as well be in Chester-le-Street.

"Claypath is cut off from the Market Place by the through-road and there just isn't the footfall that was needed.

"I know a lot of the shops are disappointed at the level of footfall at that end of the city.

"We've recently seen the closure of Formative Fun toy shop, while Cartridge World and Bailey's Blinds are relocating.

"It was a good concept, perhaps just the location was wrong. We hoped, as a speciality food shop, that it would draw the customers to it irrespective of location, but when you are looking for people to do a reasonably large shop they need car park facilities nearby and that made it difficult.

"While I hoped it would be something of an everyday shop it became a special occasion shop.

"Christmas was always good, with hampers and puddings and the like, but there just wasn't enough regular footfall.

"We've had an offer in on the shop and thought long and hard about it, but we couldn't, hand on heart, see any realistic increase in footfall and turnover."

Mr Wilkes said that the offer had come from a private buyer, and negotiations are continuing, but the shop is now in the throes of winding down, with only limited stock remaining.

Shop manager Jo Price is being relocated within the indoor market. The other staff at The Food Shop were occasional workers.