CASH-STRAPPED traders claim their market could be under threat because shoppers have abandoned their stalls in favour of supermarkets.

Edward Leyland who owns Ted's Fruit and Veg Stall on Darwen's Three Day Market says his three-day profits have dropped from £1,500 to £800 over the last 12 months.

He warned: "The way it's going, there might not be a market in Darwen in a few years.

"The people of Darwen don't seem to know there's a market here. When I took over this stall it was booming, it was always full. But it has gone down in the last 12 months.

:If it goes on like this it may come to an end.

"There are no empty stalls but people are just hanging on. They are not making a lot of profit between them, but people can only go so far."

Kavito Nicholson, who has worked on the fruit and veg stall for seven years has even written a poem praising the qualities of the market in a bid to boost trade.

Market Superintendent Darren Longworth, who has framed the poem, said: "We are not dead in the water, but the more people we can encourage to come here the better.

"Darwen Market has got a great choice of quality products and friendly, helpful market traders. It's all there for people to see and people should come and take a look." Louise McNamee, whose family cheese and chicken stall S Parr and Son has stood on Darwen Market for 70 years added: "We are seen as second best to Blackburn, all you hear about is Blackburn Market but we have not got one empty stall here.

"The people of Darwen would be the first to complain if there wasn't a market in Darwen, but we don't want that to happen.

"We've got customers who have been coming here since my grandad ran the stall. We were worried about the competition from the supermarkets but there is no comparison when it comes to price."

She and other stallholders believe the dwindling numbers of shoppers is down to a lack of publicity compared to their sister market in Blackburn.

But a council spokesman said: "We are equally committed to both our markets.

"People come from out of town to visit Blackburn and Darwen markets and we are very proud of them both."