Customers don't want to come into city - jeweller

Grenville Price has run his business from the same shop for nearly 50 years

A long-standing business owner in Nottingham city centre says recent knife crime has "affected the whole nature of the trade".

Grenville Price took over Michael Levin Jewellers in Pelham Street in 1976, and says he has dealt with crime, including firearms, during his near 50-year stint.

But he said recent anti-social behaviour and knife incidents - which has prompted an upcoming anti-violence demonstration - had hit business.

Mr Price added: "I see customers and when I ask them why it has been so long, they say 'I don't want to come into the city'."

A 17-year-old boy was stabbed in the chest inside the Primark store in Long Row

Michael Levin opened the shop in 1966 but 10 years later, Mr Price moved from a premises nearby and took it over.

As one of a shrinking number of independent high street businesses in the city, he has raised the alarm about the area's declining appeal.

This has been brought into focus by a series of stabbings in recent days, including a stabbing inside the city's Primark store on 23 February, and a stabbing near Nottingham Castle five days later.

Mr Price said the fear of crime, especially knife crime, had hit business, and added: "I'm glad I'm coming to the end of my business career."

The 77-year-old said: "There is rubbish on the streets, people fighting, Nottingham unfortunately hasn't got a lot of attraction these days."

'Gun in my face'

A raid at a nearby business, which saw £180,000 of jewellery stolen last year, highlighted the risk owners face - but one Mr Price faces phlegmatically.

"We've had numerous robberies," he said. "We've had people break in through the roof, we have had armed robberies.

"People see nice things and it makes us a target and we accept that - but we do everything in our power to combat that with security.

"You put a lock on the door but when someone knocks, you buzz them in and then up comes the hood and out comes the gun.

"I've had a gun stuck in my face and it's not pleasant - and it costs us money! But all of these things are part of the package."

Mr Price says he is now glad to be approaching the end of his business career

The coronavirus pandemic shut his shop but Mr Price said they had worked hard to build the trade back up again.

"It's the sort of thing you either survive or you don't and we are still here," he said.

Nottinghamshire Police Assistant Chief Constable, Suk Verma, said: "We know the recent incidents in the city centre in close proximity to each other will have caused fear, alarm and distress for the local community.

"The last thing we want is for the public to feel that Nottingham is an unsafe place to visit.

"The city also has a large network of CCTV cameras, which makes it incredibly difficult for someone to commit a crime and think they can get away with it.

"However, the public can expect to see a large, increased police presence in the city centre over the coming days and weeks."