At a meeting on 18 December, retailers said people urinating and defecating in the streets, alcohol consumption and customers being vocally abused by people outside shops were common problems.

Traders also said Maribyrnong City Council’s traffic cameras and lack of attention to facilities were contributing to the problem.

Representatives from the Footscray Independent Traders, Footscray Traders, Footscray Asian Businesses Association, Footscray Markets and Little Saigon Markets attended the gathering.

The meeting’s chair, Ken Betts, said Footscray retailers’ trade had fallen by at least 25 per cent, with some traders reporting downturns of 50 per cent, when they compared last quarter’s results with the same period in 2008.

“Many businesses are closing early and have installed shutters,” he said.

Mr Betts said the local police were working with traders, but the Maribyrnong City Council had not taken any action to deter misbehaviour. He blamed the closure of many public toilets for the problem of people urinating outdoors and said the council-funded new toilets were not close enough to the mall.

Mr Betts said he had sent a letter and petition from major businesses to the council’s CEO Kerry Thompson and ex-mayor Cr Michael Clarke in November last year outlining traders’ concerns, but had never got a response.

Maribyrnong mayor Sel Sanli said he was unaware the CEO and previous mayor had not answered the traders’ letter, but he met with Mr Betts after being contacted by Star last week.

Cr Sanli said the discussion, which also covered anti-social behaviour, went well.

He said the traders had been asking for older style toilets, but the new ones were safer and easier to maintain.

Footscray Police Station’s Acting Inspector Scott Mahony said officers worked closely with traders to deal with public bad behaviour.

He said police and an electronic surveillance van regularly patrolled the mall and patrols were rostered around peak trading times.