SHOPPERS are being put off Accrington’s already struggling high street by the prospect of being tackled by aggressive sellers, it has been claimed.

Councillor and local business owner Peter Britcliffe has called for a clampdown on the tactics used by traders in the town desperate to flog their wares from pop-up stalls in the town centre.

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Cllr Britcliffe, who runs a cafe in the market hall, said he has been bombarded with complaints from people saying they were being hassled as they walked through the town centre.

He said: “It’s not comfortable for people when they are getting stopped and sold one thing or another.

“People are really concerned about being accosted. When they are out shopping they don’t want this sort of pressure exerted on them.

“Accrington needs to attract people, and it needs to create an environment in which people want to shop so aggressive salesmanship needs to be toned down.”

Cllr Britcliffe said not everybody selling from temporary stalls were being pushy, with a group stood outside the market hall last week attracting no complaints.

He said chuggers, the slang term for charity collectors, were not a problem either.

Rather, he said, it was representatives from telephone, TV, and internet providers.

Michael Whewell, from the Hyndburn Chamber of Trade, said the issue had been raised by members during a recent meeting.

He said: “It puts people off when they are confronted by these people.

“In some cases, people are taking alternative routes or avoided certain areas so they are not confronted.

“It’s not something I particularly welcome and it needs to be toned down.”

And the council’s town centres boss, Cllr Clare Cleary, has promised to try to tackle the issue: “I personally can’t stand it.

“I find it really annoying.

“I am aware of this and I’m working with the town centre managers to get a grip of it.

“We don’t want anything putting people off shopping in Accrington and we will be keeping a close eye on it.”

Accrington’s town centre has been hit by several blows in recent months, with major retailers and smaller businesses leaving or announcing a decision to leave, including retailers like Marks and Spencer, Homebase, and Morrisons.