Some businesses in Watergate Street are considering blockading their own street because they are so fed up with the loss of trade and bad behaviour associated with Chester races.

Alex Sharp, owner of The Watergate Street Gallery, recently hit out in The Chronicle at what he calls 'an ever more dangerous crowd' and the impact of increased Saturday race days on Watergate Street businesses in particular.

And he had a rude awakening in the early hours of Sunday after his gallery window was smashed, he says police told him it was a race goer – leaving him £200-300 out of pocket.

Mr Sharp, who is also chairman of Watergate Street Traders’ Residents’ Association, is dismissive of the Race Company’s latest move to ban people from taking their own alcohol onto the open course saying it is motivated by profit rather than the stated aim of social responsibility. Unlike others he would still prefer to make progress through negotiation.

Extreme measures

“Some people would chain themselves to the posts. That’s why it’s annoying the way it’s broken down with the race course. When nobody listens people go to extreme measures,” he said.

For himself, Mr Sharp says it would be 'ridiculous' to block the street but a lesser action could involve shutting shops on Saturdays with posters in the windows saying “Closed due to races” with business people out in the street collecting for a local charity with the race company asked to match the amount raised.

“Nobody is coming into our shops so we would ask people to put their hands in their pockets. We have been talking about this. It would be a nice thing to do and we would get some publicity any way. We would approach the race course and ask them to match it and we could give to a local charity.”

Tipping point

Mr Sharp - who pointed out that a questionnaire filled in by 60% of Watergate Street traders showed most felt the races had a negative impact on their business - is at loggerheads with Race Company boss Richard Thomas over the impact of more Saturday racing in recent years.

Richard Thomas, left and Alex Sharp, right

He feels the situation has reached a 'tipping point' because shoppers stay away on their busiest day of the week. He says Chester needs to protect its independent businesses or the city will fail.

”The independents create a reason for people to come into town that you don’t have in Liverpool and every other global high street. That brings people into town to shop and the chains benefit from that as well. Unfortunately one by one we are dying off and Saturday race days don’t help that.

“On a Saturday we can do between £2,000 and £6,000 or the odd mad one where we do more than that but that’s without fail, every Saturday. On race days we do between £500 and £1,000. That’s it. We don’t do any business after 11am-12 o’clock.”

Open course booze ban

And Mr Sharp is luke warm about the Race Company’s controversial decision to ban people from taking their own alcohol onto the open course which is claimed to be in response to concerns over anti-social behaviour.

“I think the point is they are being fed alcohol any way, it’s just by the racecourse instead of by the independent off licences that surround the race course. It’s just another thing they are ticking off the list to bring in-house and fatten the coffers again.”

Mr Sharp is proud the city has the oldest racecourse in the world but stressed: “Let’s just get serious about racing again instead of hen and stag central.” He praised council street cleaners for doing “an amazing job” after races but would like “a more visible police presence” with officers having the ability to respond to incidents rather than being stuck to their allotted posts.

Addressing Race Company chief executive Richard Thomas directly, he said: “He is responsible to his shareholders only. He doesn’t have to do a thing for the city or the street actually but he has a moral responsibility to do that and he needs to stop the riots not just the riots among the people who spill out but the riots from the businesses.”

'All about drinking'

Graeme Baldry and Debbie Lomas of the Rainforest store on Watergate Row said in their questionnaire response: "We don't believe the majority of the people go for the race meetings anymore, it is more about drinking, judging by the state of the crowds that stagger out into the city."

Cheshire Police confirmed officers were called to an incident of criminal damage at a shop on Watergate Street at 10.40pm on Saturday, June 27. Anthony Ollerenshaw, 48, of Birds Edge in Huddersfield, has been charged with criminal damage. He appeared at Chester Magistrates on Monday, June 29.

Chester Race Company declined to comment.

■ Not all businesses in Watergate Street are concerned about the impact of Chester races. Ryan Ethrain, salon director of Hair Café, said: “I can’t understand what the complaints are about; I think the races are great for us and for the city. It’s great to see everyone dressed up. It’s fantastic for my salon; we get a lot of business from it, nobody stays away, our regulars come in as usual, the girls come in prior to the races to get their colour done and on the day to get their hair put up. We love all the people watching and we know the clothes shops are busy.”