TRADERS in Newport city centre have said they are worried profits may fall by up to 90 per cent because of the anti-Nato protest march on Saturday.

Business owners on Commercial Street also said they feel they have been “left in the dark” over the plans for the No Nato Newport demonstration on August 30.

Asif Ashraf, manager of Top Image Nursery and Babywear, said: “It probably will affect us business-wise. Nobody will be coming in to the shop.”

The 40-year-old, who has worked in Newport for 24 years, said: “I’ll probably see about a 90 per cent drop in profits. Who’s going to want a pram while the protest it on?”

Saturday’s protest, organised by Stop the War and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, will see protestors march from the Civic Centre, over the Old Town Bridge and past the War Memorial in Clarence Place.

Demonstrators will then continue along Corporation Road, across George Street Bridge and then Commercial Road before ending in Westgate Square at around 4pm.

69-year-old Diane Pring, who works at clothes shop Suit U, said: “We get a lot of older customers who come into our shop, but they won’t bother on Saturday. They’ll most likely to go to Cwmbran instead.”

A spokeswoman for No Nato Newport, which is planning other protests throughout next week, said: “The 'Eve of Summit’ march will go through Newport City Centre led by delegations of trade unionists, anti-war veterans and peace activists from Germany, Belgium, Spain, Greece and elsewhere. We expect this to be massive."

Shoppers also said they were worried about visiting the city centre during the protest. Niamh Jones said: “I hope it’s not a violent protest. I’m worried for my granddad and have told him not to go to the betting shop. I don’t want him to get caught up in it.”