A Channel 5 star has said he 'wasn't prepared' for what he found when he visited Kidderminster's high street.
Property tycoon Rick Gannon, who starred in the Channel 5 show Rich House Poor House , visited Kidderminster as part of his 'Death of the high street' social media series.
As part of this series, Gannon visits towns and cities, explores their high streets, and highlights closed-down businesses and empty retail units.
Gannon previously visited Worcester as part of this series.
In the latest instalment of 'Death of the high street' filmed in Kidderminster on Monday (June 29), Gannon says that he 'wasn't prepared' for what he found in the town and was 'bowled over' by the amount of empty shops.
He said: "I went to Kidderminster yesterday to see the state of the high street with my own eyes.
"I wasn’t prepared for what I found. Shop after shop boarded up, shutters down, for lease signs everywhere.
"The mall that used to be packed with families and shoppers now has just one shop left open. One."
Gannon also gave his verdict on what he believes has caused the decline of the high street in Kidderminster.
He said: "It’s not one thing causing this; it’s everything at once. Retail parks built on the edge of town are pulling shoppers away from the centre.
"No parking or parking that costs more than the shopping trip is worth.
"Business rates and rents that small independent shops simply cannot survive on.
"And online shopping is taking the rest."
Wyre Forest District Council and Kidderminster BID have been contacted by the Kidderminster Shuttle for comment on Rick Gannon's posts.
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