THE manager of a leading Hereford store undergoing a multi-million pound refurbishment believes the May Fair should be moved out of Hereford city centre.

Martin Woodhouse, who has been manager of Marks & Spencer in High Town for 12 weeks, says the fair attracts undesirable elements and has reduced trade at the store, which is undergoing a £12 million refurbishment.

"I don't believe the problem is with the fairground people. It is more the type of people the fair attracts," he said. "My view is the fair brings in the wrong type of customer to Hereford. Our takings reflect that because local people stay away from the centre. I think it should be moved out of town."

The store suffered a number of incidents last Thursday.

"Two purses were taken out of customers' bags and we had two bulk thefts where armfuls of stock were stolen," Mr Woodhouse said.

"There were also three incidents where groups of young lads had to be escorted out of the store after acting suspiciously."

Mr Woodhouse said members of staff were trapped in traffic gridlock as they tried to make their way home in the early evening.

He added that the fair also made Hereford city centre less attractive.

"We are told we cannot have A-boards outside the front because of the way they look but then we get hideous-looking fairground rides being plonked outside the store," said Mr Woodhouse, who is also upset at the removal of bollards and deposits of oil and diesel outside the store.

Marks & Spencer is busy transforming its Hereford branch into one of its flagship stores in the country.

The existing basement store area is being turned into a third sales floor and its selling space will be increased by 50%.

The Showmen's Guild has a contract with Herefordshire Council that keeps the May Fair in High Town until 2011. An ancient charter gives the Guild the right to hold the fair in the city centre. The contract upholding this right was renewed by Here-fordshire Council three years ago.

According to Michael Boswell, a spokesman for the Showmen's Guild, Hereford's fair was one of the best in the country and its special traditions should be preserved "It does not matter if we move it to the cattle market or racecourse - once you move a fair that has been there for hundreds of years you lose some of the tradition and panache," said Mr Boswell, chairman of the South Wales and Northern Ireland section of the Showmen's Guild.

"Hereford is one of the best-run fairs in the UK and we have never had a problem before. We have a good response from the police and the council."

Mr Boswell said a survey carried out three years ago showed overwhelming support for the fair but its organisers could not prevent troublemakers from attending.

"You cannot control who comes into the town," Mr Boswell said.

"Where do these people go when the fair is not around? They are still there somewhere, they don't disappear when we are not there."

Mr Boswell emphasised the importance of the fair's traditions, including the ceremonial offering of 12-and-a-half bushels of wheat by the Mayor to the Bishop as payment for allowing the fair to proceed. "It has one of the best openings in the UK and that tradition is special," he said.