A VALLEYS trader says he is facing potential ruin after losing over £20,000 worth of stock because of water leaking into his rented premises.

Because of the problem on Commercial Street, Blaenavon, Gwent Computer Repairs has gone from a company making over £30,000 a year profit to struggling to bring in £140 a month, its owner Dave Bean says.

Mr Bean says he pays £284 a month to rent the shop from Torfaen council.

After launching his business in May 2010, Mr Bean moved into the Commercial Street property soon after, but found that when it rained, water ran down windows and on to the floor of his shop.

This also caused damp and ruined a pallet of paper worth £870, eight computers, four laptops, a photocopier, laser printer and a stack burner used for duplicating CDs, he said.

Mr Bean said his landlord, Torfaen council, has done various work on the premises over the past year, but it has all failed to stop the problem.

It has now become so bad, that he has stopped taking repairs that will involve keeping a computer over night, fearing it will become damp if left at the premises.

This accounted for most of his business, with Mr Bean now earning around £140 a month, when he was taking in around £2,500 a month during his first year.

The trader, 47, now fears his electricity will be cut off because he is not earning enough to pay bills while Torfaen council has told him he must vacate the premises for a month while further work takes place.

While the local authority has frozen rent since June because of the condition of the property, Mr Bean fears it could be the end for his business because he will have nowhere to trade from when repair work is taking place at his shop.

An insurance assessor is looking into his claim over the lost equipment, but Association of Blaenavon Communities co-ordinator Phil Davies said: "This is his first business and he built it up through his own ingenuity. But, he can’t go on, he’s been worn down and is waiting for his electricity to be cut off. This has killed a much-needed trader in town."

A council spokesman said: "This is an on-going issue and it is not appropriate for the council to discuss a case that is currently being investigated. The council is aware of this particular complaint and is currently satisfied that the appropriate measures are being implemented to address this issue."