BOSSES from a national music chain have angered traders and council bosses with a sideswipe at Blackburn's profitability after announcing the closure of their store in the town.

Teresa Kane, personnel director of Andy's Records, blamed the store's decline on high rent when customer numbers were falling, as well as competition from Manchester's Trafford Centre and said: "It just isn't a profitable town."

But council bosses and traders have hit back saying the store's prices were out of tune with the town's other music stores.

Brian Bailey, assistant director of regeneration at Blackburn with Darwen Council said that Andy's Records had not marketed themselves as well as other music stores, and that Blackburn town centre was busier than ever.

And he said he believed that with the regeneration of Church Street, Blackburn's traders have a lot to look forward to.

John Vaughan, owner of Blackburn Record Exchange and member of the town's Chamber of Trade said his takings had increased since work on Church Street started.

"I don't believe that what they have said is the case," he said, "they had a lot of competition from HMV and Reidy's. I don't think they are competitive enough. I think it will be better when Church Street is pedestrianised."

Textiles Direct has bought out the remaining lease from Andy's.

Mr Bailey said: "There is heavy competition in the town between music retailers with local shop Reidy's and the chain store HMV stealing a large share of the local market, especially with low priced CDs.

"Unfortunately it does seem that Andy's records has not been able to market itself in the same way as other music stores in the town "The regeneration of Blackburn Town Centre is still in progress but all indications are that the town centre is busier than ever and the takings on the Council's managed car parks show that is the case.

"Shoppers' fascination with out of town shopping malls is fading and people are coming back to our centre."

But Mrs Kane said they had been losing money for a couple of years and the regeneration of Church Street would not have made a difference to them.

An Andy's branch in Preston closed last month, and Mrs Kane said she thought both towns were in recession. "They are two towns that aren't going well, but it is not a North West problem because our Southport store is doing well," she said.

"One of the reasons is because of high rent. The rent has been going up, and also the number of people coming into the centre has been falling. It used to be profitable and was booming at the start. It has been a gradual decline, a combination of the different elements. I cannot see us coming back to Blackburn at the moment.There is a general lack of prosperity in the area."

The store will close on August 11. The six staff have been offered jobs at other stores.