A LONG-serving trader has claimed Blackburn's town centre masterplan has forced him to leave town.

Lord Odin, who owns Vall Hall jewellers, King William Street, has confirmed his shop is moving to a yet-to-be identified site in Clitheroe after 32 years in Blackburn.

Vall Hall, opposite the town hall, is in what was once a thriving shopping block - but it is now surrounded by vacant shops and has been earmarked for redevelopment.

He added: "After 10 years of Blackburn being a building site, who will be left?"

Council bosses have denied he has been forced out, and say they are sorry he chose not to move somewhere else in the town.

Mr Odin, who changed his name from Gary Womack in honour of a Norse God, has previously complained that town-centre works, particularly work on the pavement outside Blackburn Town Hall, were damaging trade.

He said that he planned to renew his lease and refurbish his Blackburn store but he was told by Capita bosses, who run the council-owned building, that it was "likely" a redevelopment would go ahead in the next few years.

The nearby former Apollo 5 cinema is expected be converted to shops and offices by owners, Ross-endale developers Hurst-wood.

Mr Odin said he didn't want to take the risk of signing another lease in case it was overtaken by the development, leaving him with nowhere to go.

He added: "I am being sacrificed in the name of progress.

"This used to be a busy shopping area, but it isn't any more - it's finished.

"I am the last man standing in this row. They have blighted the whole place - it's starting to look like Harlem."

The coming years will see huge redevelopment of Blackburn, including the £66million Mall shopping centre and the £70 million Cathedral Quarter project.

Mr Odin decided against taking a shorter lease and will close his store once his stock has run down, expected to be at the start of next month.

Coun Alan Cottam, in charge of regeneration at the council, said: "I understand there has been a lot of disruption in that area, but it looks fantastic now.

"We value all shops, in particular ones like that.

"But there is pretty fierce competition in the town; perhaps there is less in Clitheroe."