A shop owner and his daughter are facing homelessness as another Debden business folds.

Tom Barwick will close World of Pets on The Broadway in January, signalling the end of the parade's longest continuously serving business.

Well known in the area for carrying a parrot around on his shoulder, the dad has seen business at his shop plummet following the opening of World of Pets at the Langston Road shopping centre.

The competition, coupled with a recent rent increase by landlords Epping Forest District Council, has proved too much for Mr Barwick.

He said: "I am facing homelessness along with my daughter. They haven't done anything to help at all.

"They shouldn't have undermined us by introducing competition.

"When I signed the contract I knew nothing about Langston Road.

"There is not the footfall. There are eight shops closed at the moment."

In the year after he took over the shop in 2016 Mr Barwick would regularly take more than £1,000 on a Saturday, he claimed.

Following the retail park's opening in December 2017, World of Pets does £200 of trade on the same day.

How much this dip in business - which has also seen Ice Events, Pirates Den, Green Owl Canteen, Save the Children and Eye Gee Opticians leave The Broadway this year - can be attributed to the new competition is not clear.

Epping Forest District Council's commissioned independent report into the area which is due before Christmas should shed light on the matter.

Regardless, Mr Barwick has lost his cherished business and stability in his home life, just months after his back was broken in a homophobic attack during London Pride.

He added: "I had to tell me daughter last night that we were going to have to close the shop down.

"She started crying and said 'you can't do that.'

"She said she'd get all her friends' parents to start shopping on The Broadway. She's only seven.

"I have no where else to go. I don't know what I am going to do."

Mr Barwick will now wind-down his business and attempt to rehome his large collection of pets.

When asked by The Guardian about the closure of Green Owl Canteen last week, a spokesperson for the council argued The Broadway was doing well.

They said: "As previously stated The Broadway, when compared with national trends, is a success story. It is actually bucking the national trend with strong performance. Turnover of new shops replacing old is a natural part of any high street and we still have lots of interest in each vacancy.

“The Council has invested heavily in The Broadway. Our new retail units at the Landmark building are a sign of our confidence. Rental income from the shop units helps us to support services to our residents. With the demand for our units so strong, a very positive picture of The Broadway is emerging.

“All new businesses based in property owned by the council benefit from not having to pay rent costs for a period of time when starting up, including traders based at The Broadway.

"The tenant received not only a rent free period, but also other start up benefits too from EFDC.”