Arbroath and Broughty Ferry: A tale of two high streets

"People who were working can't get jobs. We're needing industry in the town."

He said the High Street was "mobbed" when he was younger, but not anymore.

"If you look at the High Street, it looks tired," he added.

"There's buildings need painted, there's trees and bushes growing out of the roofs, it never had that.

"People looked after their properties, it doesn't seem to be that way now."

Jo McKenzie is the owner of the Fish Hoose fish merchant in Arbroath.

She said her business was lucky to have a "solid customer base" who shop there weekly.

She said: "We're also lucky that with the Arbroath Smokie we get a lot of tourists who want to come and see that."

But she too has noticed the decline of the town's High Street in recent years.

She said: "We're seeing so many small businesses that are fighting to stay open, which is a such a shame."

Jo highlights Broughty Ferry's bustling town centre as an inspiration.

She said: "It's such a hive for local businesses and it's such a shame to see our High Street declining, and I know it's not just in our area.

"We should be encouraging local businesses to want to open. A lot of the larger businesses are now going out of town or into retail parks.

"A lot of folk aren't able to get what they want now, they have to go to Dundee, Aberdeen, even further afield."

Jo hopes the new MP takes on comments and feedback from local people.

"I think that's a big thing as well, that maybe they don't feel like they're being listened to," she added.

But while businesses might be booming in the Ferry, as it's known to locals, the area is not without its troubles.

The seaside town draws tourists, but the beach area has also attracted youths causing trouble, with brawls and vandalism in the past.

John Kerr is the chairman of the Broughty Ferry Traders Association, which represents about 130 businesses in the town.

He said the number one issue raised at their recent AGM was a spike in youth-related crime issues.

John said: "I think as a location for many years it (Broughty Ferry) has enjoyed a lesser component of that compared to Dundee and other areas up the coast.

"But over the last year it's identified it's not immune in any way, shape or form to that type of behaviour.

"And certainly over the last few weeks and months we've actually seen a spike to that."

Euan Spark is the co-owner of coffee roasters Maison Dieu in Broughty Ferry.

He came to Broughty Ferry more than two years ago and says it is "probably one of the best high streets in the local area."

Euan would like to see more done to encourage even more independent cafes and businesses to open there.

"We've got a lot of competition from chains, we've got two or three different (chains) on this street, it's really hard to compete with," he said.

"We have to be extremely busy to do what we do. We'd love to get a bigger place, but it's more rent and business rates.

"It's all local staff we have here, all the tradesmen are local, we use local cake suppliers, the milk is from the local dairy, so we are trying to do everything right."

There are five candidates standing in the Arbroath and Broughty Ferry by-election.

Voters will need photo ID at polling stations.