A BUSINESSMAN today warned developers poised to rejuvenate Blackburn's Lord Square: "The lease on my shop still has two years to run".

Bob Turner's Toplex store is one of the shops in the run-down square that is set to disappear during a £15million re-vamp.

But he said he was still unsure about his next move and warned that Lord Square may have to be developed around his shop if he did not get a good offer.

Today shopping centre owners Reit Asset Management said it would try and come to an agreement.

But it said the development was not due to be completed until 2006 and it could wait until the Toplex lease had expired before completing renovation work.

The Toplex family business has been a feature in Blackburn town centre since Mr Turner's father Frank opened their first store in 1959.

But plans for the rejuvenation of the site - due to begin this year - include 'filling in' the square and replacing the existing shops with five large stores and 14 smaller units.

The plans have been sent to Blackburn with Darwen Council, which is backing the development.

When they were unveiled earlier this month, the council said tenants in Lord Square had been served notice to leave and many had already come to the end of their leases.

But Mr Turner and his son Karl, who now manages the store, said London-based Reit had not been in touch to discuss its plans. Mr Turner insisted his electrical appliance store was not going to go out of business and said: "I am aware there are plans for the square but we have a lease that does not end until 2006.

"I am concerned because we have relocated several times in recent years. Our last move into Lord Square has proved to be very successful and our business has grown as a result.

"I don't want to stop the development in the town, but at the moment I do not know what is on offer. We will have to wait and see.

"We want to stay in Lord Square so they may have to develop around us. We want to reassure our customers that we will give them the same level of service, wherever we are."

Kevin McGrath, a partner at Reit Asset Management said: "I am surprised that he has not heard from us but we are certainly aware of his and everyone's leasing position.

"This is a big development and we do not have to have every unit back in order to start the development and there are leases which may expire or be handed back.

"We are good, fair and reasonable landlords but there may well be disruption involved.

"We will try to come to an agreement with him. If not we could change the building plans, find another unit or possibly wait until the lease expires. This project is not due to finish until 2006.

"We are trying to develop something that the town and the council have been asking for a number of years."