Riots: 10% of retail and leisure businesses affected

More than 10% of UK retail and leisure businesses have already been directly affected by the looting and riots which have hit the country, claims research from the Local Data Company (LDC).

The company, which produces retail location data, claims that 28 town centres have been impacted by the riots with 48,404 shops, pubs, restaurant and clubs being impacted by the disorder. Small independent businesses account for 65% of those affected.

Matthew Hopkinson, director of the LDC, said: "These figures are horrifying in terms of the damage that has been done to an already struggling sector. The retail sector is a major contributor to inner city regeneration projects as well as employing thousands of people.

"The fact that over 65% of those affected are independents shows how random and thoughtless the actions of this criminal minority are. These businesses are the livelihoods of many people and the ability to bounce back from this has yet to be seen. It is the last thing that the High Street let alone the country needed. It is important that the law abiding majority offer as much support as they can to these affected businesses."

New figures from Kelkoo, produced by the Centre for Retail Research (CRR), estimate that the recent unrest has already cost UK retailers £80 million in lost sales due to early store closures and consumers avoiding the chaos of city centres across the country.