SHOPKEEPERS in Rainham shopping centre face thousands of pounds of lost trade by having to close for up to seven months for major subsidence repair.

Ten shops received letters on behalf of landlords City Sites of Rainham, giving them six weeks to leave the precinct. Traders will have to either find other premises temporarily or close for the period.

In a letter, the landlord's agents, Queensbridge Management, said: "Your landlord is aware of the impending disruption to your business this is likely to have. However, we hope you are adequately covered under your business insurance policy to cover business profit loss during this time."

The work, expected to last from May 1 and take up to 28 weeks, will involve underpinning the buildings. Barry's Fruiterers, Morecuts butchers, Rainham Health Food Shop, Quidsaver, Boots the Opticians, Bookmark, Xpressions, Ascot Flowers, Pet Supplies will all have to move. Frank Bates, of Ascot Flowers, said: "It's wrong, as far as I am concerned. How can a landlord close businesses with five or six weeks notice? It's not clear whether we have insurance cover and if we haven't, we might have to stay here and trade as best we can."

Lee Moore, owner of Morecuts butchers, said his sealed-in fridges would be no use once they had to be removed and he has spent £9,000 on partitions and metal railings which would have to be taken out. He said: "I just wish we had been given more notice. We take £14,000 a week, which we will lose. We can only hope the insurance pays out because if not we will have to lay off nine staff."

Louise Frost is running a nail extension business inside Xpressions hairdressers and expects to lose all her customers. She said: "Because I am self employed, I won't be able to keep going. I will have to go back to office temping."

The shopkeepers are taking legal advice to see if they can claim compensation.