THE Bucks Free Press is urging readers to finish off their Christmas shopping in High Wycombe.

As residents of this town, we should be doing everything we can to ensure that our traders enjoy a booming Christmas and a prosperous new year.

So rather than hopping onto the motorway to travel elsewhere, we urge everyone to come into Wycombe and support all of those businesses that are relying on us to keep going.

And Lesley Clarke, leader of Wycombe District Council, agrees.

She told us: "Wycombe's closer, easier to get to and there's lots to buy so why travel a long way and spend lots of money on petrol? Just go for it and give it a try."

The Bucks Free Press is also urging readers not to be deterred by the site of cranes filling up Bridge Street car park this does not mean there is nowhere to park.

Shoppers can easily hop on the Park & Ride from Cressex into town, or drive to Dovecot car park where there are hundreds of spaces.

And in less than a year and a half's time, Wycombe's Eden centre will be built bringing even more life to a thriving town.

The £130 million shopping and leisure development will bring a 675,000 sq ft development of shops, parking, library, new bus station, one and two-bedroomed flats, restaurants and bars, a cinema and a bowling alley to land between Oxford Road, Abbey Way, Bridge Street, Lily's Walk and Desborough Road.

There will also be two large anchor stores: House of Fraser and a Marks and Spencer.

But in the meantime, don't forget what is already in Wycombe plenty of shops, restaurants and cafes in which to have a very merry shopping experience.