Britain's high streets turning into ‘ghosts towns' and now overrun with vape shops and takeaways
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
BRITAIN'S high streets are turning into 'ghost towns', a report warns.
The decline — which has sped up over the last decade — has seen assets such as banks, pharmacies, libraries and public loos vanish.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
2
Britain's high streets are turning into 'ghost towns', a report has warned
Credit: John Gunion - The Sun Glasgow
And many areas are now overrun by vape shops, bookies and takeaways.
The change is most stark in deprived areas struggling with health and economic inequalities in the North, according to research by academics at Health Equity North.
Professor Clare Bambra, from Newcastle University, said: 'You should be able to walk down a high street and feel the uniqueness, culture and identity of that community.
'Through innovative design, better public transport, and measures that promote people over cars, we can re-think these spaces so they become 'go-tos' rather than 'ghost towns'.'
read more on uk news
SLAVE PROBE Popular sea shanty band who play Glastonbury are at centre of SLAVERY probe
Her colleague Prof Adam Todd added: 'Our high streets feel like a shadow of themselves.
"Protecting these spaces for the next generation isn't just about restoring them to some nostalgic vision of town centres past.'
Since 2014, the number of takeaway shops has risen 24 per cent across England — 30 per cent in the most deprived areas.
The amount of vape shops has risen 1,200 per cent in that time, while there are three times more bookies now in poorer places.
Why are so many pubs and bars closing?
2
Many areas are now overrun by vape shops, bookies and takeaways
Credit: Alamy
Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Shoppers warned about quick online payment option that could end up costing you £1,000s
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A WARNING has been issued to shoppers over a quick payment option that can cost £1,000s. Which? is urging caution over use of the "pay by bank" feature which lacks key consumer protection. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Which? has issued a warning over the "pay by bank" payment feature Credit: Getty The payment feature lets shoppers pay for products without the need to enter bank details or use a card. It is used by popular online retailers such as WHSmith, Just Eat, Funky Pigeon and Ryanair. You can also use it to settle credit card balances or pay bills. However, Which? has raised concerns people may be unaware it can leave them unprotected if something goes wrong with a purchase. The option lacks Section 75 and chargeback protections that shoppers get when paying through other methods. Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, a credit card company can be held jointly liable for a purchase that turns out to be shoddy or does not materialise. This means a shopper can potentially get a refund from the credit card company if they cannot recover their costs from a retailer. Those using a debit card or credit card for purchases can also potentially get their money back via the chargeback scheme. Which? said pay by bank is a "potential game changer" for businesses as they can sidestep card transaction fees and also benefit from receiving customer funds immediately. There is also appeal for shoppers as refunds can be processed instantly. Shopping discounts - How to make savings and find the best bargains While card details are not shared when making a transaction – eliminating the risk of them being stolen or compromised. People do have general purchase rights under the Consumer Rights Act, meaning that goods must be fit for purpose, as described and of satisfactory quality. But Which? said these protections are not always easy to enforce and in some cases may end up with people needing to go to a small claims court. People may also face difficulties in the event of a business going bust. This could particularly be the case if there is an issue with a future-dated purchase such as a flight, a festival, or a household big ticket purchase such as a kitchen or a sofa. Jenny Ross, Which? money editor, said: 'Innovations like pay by bank present opportunities for businesses and consumers alike, but they're not without risk, particularly as they lack the rigorous purchase protections you get when paying by card. 'We're calling on the regulator to act to ensure consumers can use pay by bank with confidence, but in the meantime, we'd urge consumers to think carefully before using it to book events or make substantial purchases – for now, your good old-fashioned credit or debit card may be the best option.' A spokesperson for banking and finance industry body UK Finance said: 'There are a range of options for making payments online which provides customers with choice as to how they wish to pay. "Different payment methods do come with different levels of protection and it's worth being aware of these when shopping online, particularly when making higher value purchases." What is Section 75 protection? Section 75 protection offers you consumer protection on credit card purchases worth between £100 and £30,000. It applies to any products or services you've bought that end up being faulty, broken, or were not delivered at all. It also covers you in the case a retailer you've bought from goes bust. Section 75 applies to goods bought online, over the phone or via mail order. You aren't covered by Section 75 if you bought anything with a debit card, but may be under chargeback. To make a claim under Section 75, you need to contact your credit card provider. It should then send you a claim form which you can fill in and your provider will use to process your application. Your card firm might ask you to provide evidence such as a receipt or a report verifying that the item is faulty. In the scenario where a retailer has not gone bust, you should complain to them first. If you find that your card company has been unhelpful and refused your claim, you can take your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
Scottish Sun
9 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Popular Scots baby store announces shock closure leaving expectant parents out of pocket
Some families have accused the firm of "taking money from people, knowing they were going under" Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EXPECTANT parents claim to have been left out of pocket after a popular Scots baby store shut its doors without warning. Stirling Pram pulled the shutters down last week after announcing on social media that "despite our best efforts" it had gone bust. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Stirling Pram announced the shock closure on social media last week Credit: Stirling Pram 2 It was an official stockist of renowned brands like Mamas and Papas Credit: Stirling Pram The baby shop, an official stockist of renowned brands such as Mamas and Papas, was a go-to for newborn essentials, including prams, car seats and nursery furniture. Just days before the closure, Stirling Pram launched a half-price "furniture clearance sale" - claiming it was to make space for new stock. But shortly afterwards, the store revealed on Facebook that it would be ceasing trading. In a post on Stirling Pram's now-deleted Facebook account, staff wrote: 'To all our amazing customers, after pouring our hearts into this business it's incredibly difficult to now share that we are closed and going into liquidation. 'Running a physical store in recent years has been more challenging than ever – from the rapid growth of online shopping and price cutting, people increasingly using us just as a showroom for buying online, to the rising costs of rent, utilities, supplies and operations. 'Despite our best efforts, these pressures became too much to bear.' It added: 'This decision hasn't come easily, and we want to say a heartfelt thank you to every one of you who walked through our doors, supported us, and believed in what we were doing.' According to The Courier, employees at the Stirling Enterprise Park store learned they were losing their jobs on the same day the closure was announced. Parents-to-be, who claim to have spent hundreds of pounds on prams and other items, say the company has ignored their attempts to contact them following the announcement. Several have taken to social media, accusing the firm of "taking money from people, knowing they were going under". End of an Era: Beloved Scottish Discount Chain Closes Its Edinburgh Branch One wrote: 'Absolutely fuming, ordered pram, changing unit and other stuff from Stirling Pram in Stirling. 'Paid quite a bit in deposits, only to find out when I tried to contact them they'd gone into administration. 'We're lucky, if we can't get a refund from bank… but for some, they've given their money thinking they're giving their unborn child the best and are left with nothing.' Another added: 'I am very sorry to hear about your shop closing. 'But I'm also very angry as I've have bought and fully paid for my daughter's pram for her first baby, which is currently being held in your store for us until nearer baby's due date. 'I am absolutely disgusted and my daughter at 10 weeks to go certainly does not need this stress of now knowing we have no pram or money to buy another one.' Stirling Pram claimed it had appointed "insolvency practitioners" who would contact existing customers with "more details on next steps". The business was put up for sale ten months ago, described as a "well-established business" with an annual turnover of £650,000. Stirling Pram's website and social media channels have all been deleted.
Western Telegraph
9 hours ago
- Western Telegraph
Cadbury fans ‘disgusted' as chocolate pack shrinks
The product in question is the Dairy Milk Little Bars multipacks which are now being sold as packs of four instead of packs of six. A pack of four chocolate bars costs £1.40 on Tesco's website despite a pack of six of the same chocolate bar costing the same price last month, reports The Sun. Cadbury fans 'disgusted' at chocolate bar 'shrinkflation' Taking to the review section on the Tesco website, one customer said: 'Advertised as new, only thing new is you get 4 instead of 6!! For the same price. Disgusting!' Another commented: 'Stop reducing how much is in the packet and charging the same price!!!' A third noticed the difference in pack size: 'Taken 2 bars out. STILL SAME PRICE. Were 6 now 4. Disgraceful.' Someone else shared: 'Was a six pack now a four pack for the same price, a third less chocolate, unacceptable shrinkflation'. The Sun explained that another pack of Cadbury chocolate bars – Freddos – had reduced from five bars to four as well as Cadbury Dairy Milk multipacks which went from nine bars to seven. Lib Dems call for customers to be told about 'shrinkflation' The Liberal Democrats want government legislation amended to legally require large supermarkets to inform shoppers when the quantity of goods within a pre-packaged product has decreased thereby increasing the price per unit of measurement. Discontinued UK sweets/chocolates Details of the changes would need to be attached or placed alongside the product for a 60-day period, according to the amendment tabled to the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill. Supermarkets would be forced to tell their customers if they want them to 'pay more for less' under the proposals designed to tackle 'shrinkflation'. Digestive biscuits, butter, crisps and chocolate bars were among the items found to have decreased in size while their unit cost increased, according to 2024 research by Compare the Market. Cadbury told The Sun: 'We understand the economic pressures that consumers continue to face and any changes to our product sizes is a last resort for our business. Recommended reading: 'However, as a food producer, we are continuing to experience significantly higher input costs across our supply chain, with ingredients such as cocoa and dairy, which are widely used in our products, costing far more than they have done previously. 'Meanwhile, other costs like energy and transport, also remain high. This means that our products continue to be much more expensive to make and while we have absorbed these costs where possible, we still face considerable challenges. 'As a result of this difficult environment, we have had to make the decision to slightly reduce the weight of our Cadbury Dairy Milk Little Bars multipacks so that we can continue to provide consumers with the brands they love, without compromising on the great taste and quality they expect.' Newsquest has approached Cadbury for comment.
