TRADERS' leader Richard Thorogood is quitting his Dorchester business 18 months after opening because of poor sales and crime.

Mr Thorogood, who runs Time House Antiques in High East Street, has put everything in a final sale and is also set to step down as president of the town's chamber of commerce.

His action comes after he called for the high street to be pedestrianised and for Dorchester to promote itself more to attract visitors.

Mr Thorogood, who opened his shop in December 2000, said: "Enough is enough.

"My wife and I are working for nothing, and have decided to call it a day.

"It is disappointing as it is a wonderful and historic shop."

Mr Thorogood, who will step down as chamber president when his term ends in November, moved to Dorchester from Suffolk to start his business.

His closure comes after furniture maker Philip Wood and the Nightjar shop closed down in High East Street and A Touch of the Sun gift shop shut in High West Street.

The shop has been targeted by burglars and shoplifters, but Mr Thorogood claimed the September 11 tragedy in America and foot and mouth crisis were further blows.

He said: "Trade was pleasing in the first few months after we opened. But then came foot and mouth, and we were just beginning to recover when September 11 happened.

"That killed trade and we have been losing money since then. We've also been hit by shoplifters."

He added: "Tourism needs to be promoted more. We depended upon them (tourists) in this shop. The last American that came in spent £500 in five minutes, but they don't come along every day."

Mr Thorogood also said he has been waiting for more than a year for a business rates review and called for measures to lift High West Street and High East Street's position as the town's secondary shopping area.

A trial pedestrianisation of the street was abandoned because just four people turned up for a meeting to discuss the proposal.

Now Mr Thorogood, who has helped rejuvenate the chamber of commerce since taking over two years, has agreed to return the property to its owners and is seeking a job in the town.

The historic building was a former pharmacy where actor Maurice Evans was born upstairs. He appeared on stage, later became a US citizen and starred in Planet of the Apes as well as the sitcom Bewitched as Tabitha's father.