Shropshire towns fail in Mary Portas cash bid

Twelve High Streets across England will share £1.2m government cash to revive their shopping areas — but Shropshire has missed out.

"Town teams" in areas including Wolverhampton will try out ideas proposed by retail guru Mary Portas in her High Street review.

But towns, including Market Drayton, Oswestry and Newport, which made bids for the cash have lost out.

Portas, who will make a TV programme about the 12, said she was "deeply touched" by the "creativity" of bids. Fifteen more "Portas pilot" areas will be selected later this year.

Liskeard in Cornwall, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea in Northumberland, Bedford, Croydon and Bedminster, in Bristol, as well as Dartford and Margate – both in Kent – were also successful.