YORK has plenty of swanky shops these days.

High-class stores like Whistles, L'Occitane, Svarovsky and Paul Smith have been falling over themselves to come to the city centre.

Sadly, this move up-market may be coming at a price.

As The Press reveals today, some of the city's quirkier small stores are being driven out by high city centre rents.

The two Fentons souvenir shops at either end of Shambles have been up for lease since last October. Shambles Sew and Gifts, Collectables, and Something Different in Shambles have all also closed down. Traders in Shambles have blamed falling visitor numbers.

Now Snappy Snaps, the camera store in Stonegate, has gone the same way - putting the blame this time on high rents.

What these shops all have in common is that they are smack bang in the middle of the tourist heart of York.

This is the quarter famed for the unusual boutiques and highly individual shops that are an important part of the city's charm.

They don't have the spending power of the big chains, and are the first to go under if rents and rates rise too high.

Council leader Steve Galloway remains bullish - stressing that the city enjoys high levels of tourism, and that rents reflect the success of businesses.

That may well be so.

But while we welcome the influx of posh new chain stores to York, it would be a great shame if the city's unique boutiques were forced out.

Part of York's special character would be lost with them.