'Dying ghost town' with more than 40 empty shops

'It's sad to see' say locals

- By Ed Chatterton

A ONCE-thriving town has become “depressingly dead” with dozens of empty shops on the high street.

More than 40 units in the heart of Walsall are shuttered or boarded up and many have been graffitied.

Window cleaner Paul Booth, 64, who has worked there for 44 years, said: “There used to be five of us who cleaned all the shops, offices, pubs, banks, and it would take us all week. Now I can do it all on a Tuesday.