The director of one of Hounslow's oldest stores has warned it may prove impossible to lure back shoppers if the town centre is not revamped soon.

Salman Al-farsi, co-director of Treaty Centre cosmetics company Beauty Base, has watched the High Street's steady decline over the last 30 years.

He claims traders have already lost millions of pounds worth of business to nearby centres like Kingston due to a lack of investment since the town's '70s heyday.

Mr Al-farsi's warning came as residents got their first insight into how the face of Hounslow could change in the next few years.

"Nothing happened in and around Hounslow for 15 years before the Blenheim Centre was built and we're still waiting for the second phase of Key Site One to begin," he said. "The town centre's been neglected for years and a lot of our older customers tell us they now do most of their shopping in Kingston, which is much more modern.

"It's possible to win back those customers depending on how Hounslow's marketed,but if nothing happens soon it will become harder to woo them. Hounslow used to be second only to Oxford Street in terms of how much money was spent.

"It was busy all the waydown to the bus station and all the big chains were here, but most of them have long since moved out."

Thousands of shoppers visited an exhibition at the Treaty Centre, which was celebrating its 21st birthday, over the weekend to see initial ideas for the town centre's regeneration and to add their own suggestions.

Early proposals from consultants EDAW include creating a leafy public square, adding a local 'hopper' bus route and introducing free Wi-fi to attract more business people.

They were based on comments by residents and traders, who criticised Hounslow's 'dirty and cluttered streets' and the number of budget stores, among other failings.

Planners are also keen to hear whether people want a 'west end' with bars and restaurants and a local shopping centre around Hounslow East tube station or if they want night spots to be spread along the High Street.