ANGRY shopkeepers from Canterbury will send a petition to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott in protest against a crippling rise in business rates. They say it is a classic stealth tax aimed at elbowing small business from the high street.

The change, set to be introduced in April next year, will mean rises of up to 50 per cent for some businesses.

Eric Barker has run Canterbury Gifts in St Peter's Street for the past seven years. He has already met with some business owners and is collecting signatures for a petition to go to Mr Prescott's office early in the New Year.

The rise will see Mr Barker's rates increase from £20,000 to £30,000 a year.

He said: "This is a massive increase in rates. The Inland Revenue is increasing the rateable value of properties based on increases in rent. For some it will mean rates rising to 50 per cent of annual rent. This is nothing more than an attempt to elbow small businesses out of the way.

"It may mean closure for some. The city centre is now a difficult place to set up a small business and survive. From talking to several shop owners I expect to have no trouble gathering support. There is a lot of bad feeling over this.

"We will wait until the New Year to send the petition as everybody is busy preparing for Christmas at the moment. I know the Government is looking in to business leases in general to guard against greedy landlords and rent variations.

"I have been trading here for seven years and business at the moment is down. The council says with Whitefriars the centre of gravity in the high street has shifted. I fear for the future of some stores in this part of the city."

Neville Pundole of Canterbury Independent Traders Association said: "We very much support Mr Barker on this. This is a stark rise in rates, particularly for the independent traders. It will hurt the smaller traders most and some may not survive."