Some of the borough's Chinese businesses say their trade is recovering after fears over the SARS virus led customers to stay away.

The virus a variation on the common cold has mainly hit the Far East and Canada, although Britain confirmed one case a fortnight ago.

In Barnet, which has one of the biggest Chinese populations in London, Chinese people have reported being shunned, even though the Government has said they pose no threat to public health.

Oriental City a shopping mall in Edgware Road, Colindale, specialising in Far Eastern produce suffered a 30 per cent drop in trade when the fear of SARS peaked in April. This prompted the North London Chinese Association (NLCA) to accuse the Government of abandoning Chinese businesses.

The NLCA said business at Oriental City had now recovered to within ten per cent of pre-SARS levels.

Not all Chinese businesses in the borough are doing so well. One waitress at a Chinese restaurant said trade was down by 40 per cent.

"It's horrible. People are scared. The news every night told them about the problem, but it is very far from London. Why do they stay away?

"Some days, we have no customers at all. If it stays like this we will be closing soon," she said.

But Eric Lok at the Happy Valley restaurant in Church Road, Hendon, said he had not noticed a dramatic change in business.

"It's been more or less the same. It's a quiet period of the year anyway. We've had the war and the economy isn't as good as it used to be. When they combine they can have quite a big effect," said Mr Lok.

Hendon MP Andrew Dismore has called on the Government to consider compensating Chinese businesses that continue to suffer a drop in revenue as a result of fears over SARS.

May 29, 2003 11:30