Traders who have lost thousands of pounds in the fall-out from Thursday's tornado said last night they had been neglected by the city council.

Restaurateurs, grocers and newsagents on the usually bustling Ladypool Road in Sparkbrook and Moseley criticised city leaders who they claimed would have acted with more urgency if the city centre's entertainment zones had been hit by the twister.

The frustrated shopkeepers were yesterday left standing behind barriers on the edge of Newport Road assessing the damage caused to their shops.

Mohammed Yaqubali, owner of the two Lahore Karahi restaurants on Ladypool Road and nearby Highgate Road, said he had not been given any information from the council.

Mr Yaqubali, who is also chairman of Ladypool Road Traders Association, said he was losing thousands of pounds a day with the closure of the two restaurants.

"I have not been able to get to my Ladypool Road restaurant because the damage is so bad, but I may be able to open the other restaurant soon," he said.

"I have had absolutely no information from the council which I think is very bad. I know it is a natural disaster but they should have set up some sort of advice line which could help us.

"If this sort of thing had happened at Broad Street in the city centre the damage would have been cleared up by now, but we have been neglected."

Zaman Khan, owner of Frontier Stores convenience store on Ladypool Road, said he was sick of the policy of "tax, talk and no action" from the local authority.

"This tornado has devastated much of the road and all we ask is that we are told what is going on," he said.

"There are people out clearing the trees, but how do we know what is going to happen to our properties."

Akram Ulhaq, owner of Amaniti Ali Halaf butchers and grocers, said he had had to lay off his employees and did not know when they would be able to return to work.

"I have got six members of staff and they rely on the business for their wages," he said.

"What am I supposed to say to them, because I do not know when I will re-open."

Rafiq Khalid, who runs the Royal Sweets store on the Ladypool Road, said: "I have not seen anything being done to help sort out the buildings.

"My business will be totally ruined. I was evacuated from the shop when I had just arrived with a food delivery from London.

"I was not even allowed to put anything in the fridge, so all that food will be ruined. The insurance will not cover milk that has gone off.

"I depend on that shop and so does my family. But no-one seems to be helping me get back on my feet so I do not know what I am going to do."

Mohammed Irfan, office manager at Newport Medical Practice, said many local residents had come into the centre to ask for help.

"We had people turning up with minor injuries. A lot of people with burns and bruises. It has really affected the community."

Waheed Akhtar, a 30-year-old postman who lives on nearby Queenswood Road, said: "Nobody seems to care about the people who have been affected by this. I have not heard any politicians in London offer any sort of help or support."

A spokeswoman for the city council said: "We have brought in building surveyors from other councils and everyone we have is out there assessing buildings too.

"They are working as fast as they can and people have to be governed by their advice as to when they can return to their homes or businesses."