TRADERS in New Ferry have produced a business directory as efforts to rejuvenate the town after last year's explosion continue.

There was a time when local shops stood on every street corner.

But many of the larger stores have long-since pulled out, and services including the Citizens Advice Bureau, Job Centre and banks have now all gone.

The devastating explosion in March last year destroyed 10 businesses including Griffiths the Butcher and Chinese restaurant Lan's House.

The Business Directory, put together by traders who are unique to New Ferry, lists all their businesses and contact details.

It is available online at www.newferryonline.org.uk and printed copies will hopefully be ready before the end of the month.

Mark Craig, chair of New Ferry Residents Association, researched the guide and runs the community website.

He told the Globe: "New Ferry, like many older shopping centres across the country, is suffering from low levels of footfall. The explosion has made things here worse.

"Although plans are being put together to regenerate the town centre, and the government has been asked to help, it will be at least another year until any new shops and buildings begin to rise from the ground.

"The shops and businesses already in New Ferry need people to support them now.

"Whenever you needed to buy something, you simply went out of your front door and within minutes could walk to a local shop or group of shops that stocked most of what you needed.

"New Ferry was once an important strategic centre sandwiched between Port Sunlight Village and the River Mersey."

The directory is published online on the community's own website and New Ferry Town Team regeneration group has agreed to fund a printed version for local people to keep and refer to when they need local shops, suppliers and services.

Mark Craig, chair of New Ferry Residents Association, continued: "There are a surprising number of good quality businesses still here if you care to look.

"We have the award-winning Edge the Butcher, several excellent hair and beauty salons, shops that repair your clothes and furniture, Risa Spice - a hugely popular and successful Indian Restaurant, family-friendly pubs, specialist motor shops including one who can do a custom paint job on your car amongst many others.

"We also have a number of competitively priced foodstores such as Heron Foods, Iceland and Aldi.

"We know that people like to go the larger shopping stores that surround us, but we urge everyone to help local businesses - many of them small local traders who live within our community - as it is very much a case of 'Use Them, or Lose Them'.

"And that last thing anyone wants to see is a completely derelict and boarded up centre in the heart of this community."

Anyone who runs their business in New Ferry (including those without a physical shop but whose address is in New Ferry or Port Sunlight) is invited to submit their details for inclusion in the directort to newferryonline@gmail.com