Mayor backs our call to help city's stricken shopkeepers

Support: Boris Johnson meets shop owner Liz Pilgrim on a walkabout in Ealing

The Evening Standard today calls on big business and ordinary Londoners to back local shops and help restore the capital's riot-damaged high streets.

As independent retailers struggle to rebuild after this week's violence, tales have emerged of residents donating time and money to help stores begin trading again.

But retailers today told the Standard of their fears that this could be "the final nail in the coffin" for shops left reeling by the economic downturn.

Small businesses lost tens of millions of pounds during the rioting.

Liz Pilgrim, a mother of two who runs Babye, a boutique in Ealing, had her shop ransacked. Mrs Pilgrim, who opened the shop seven years ago, said: "Anything that can be pumped into high streets and that gets shops up and running again is a good thing. I am fearful about the future of our high streets.

"It wasn't great before the riots happened. Shops were closing left, right and centre. Is this going to be the final nail in the coffin? It would be a catastrophe if that happened."

Boris Johnson today backed the Evening Standard's call, asking Londoners to "go local" to help unique shopping areas survive.

The Mayor said: "Small businesses are crucial for London. The biggest victims in this are the hard-working businesses of London who have suffered appalling damage and loss. I want to see them on their feet as soon as possible.

"Big businesses that want to belong in their community also have a vested interest in helping out their smaller siblings.

"We support local businesses and I would urge Londoners to get out and do the same. They take our young people on and get them into work. That's why all of this has been so tragic and so senseless. Go local."

Mr Johnson has announced a £50 million regeneration fund to rebuild areas damaged by the riots and David Cameron yesterday said council tax and business rates would be temporarily suspended for seriously affected premises.

But retailers today said they need help now and called on Londoners to show their support by shopping locally.

Catherine Shaw, who owns Allbone and Trimit dressmaking business in Crystal Palace, said: "Most of the shops here are small independently run businesses and seeing the chaos around us has left everyone feeling vulnerable; their shops are their livelihoods, there are no corporations behind them.

"People should take this chance to become part of their community and support small businesses. Locals can feel like they belong, and it will help to keep people trading."

Onelia and Enzo Giarratano, who have owned Ocean Hairdressers in Lavender Hill for the past 10 years, were forced to flee on Monday night when a jeering mob attacked their business.

Mrs Giarratano, 36, said: "We lost everything, all our equipment and products and they smashed up the salon. People have been great helping us clean up and move forward. One of our suppliers rang the shop and offered to restock his brand for free.

"Locals have been stopping by to book appointments for when we are on our feet again. Local people are really wonderful. You expect your friends and family to care, but strangers have been incredibly kind."

Today the organiser of the Twitter #riotcleanup campaign said he wanted to create pop-up shops that can house wrecked businesses.

Dan Thompson, whose Twitter call on the clean-up mobilised thousands, is asking landlords with empty retail space to get in touch via his webpage at riotcleanup.co.uk. This could be used for shopkeepers who have seen their premises destroyed, he said.

"We have everything we need to create a popup shop ready to go, we can take it to any premises and get a shop up and running in a few hours."

John Walker, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: "Small firms are still reeling from the shock of the last week and are trying to pick themselves up from the damage caused. At this time, it is also vital that people keep trade local to support their communities so that businesses can get up and running again."

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