STALLHOLDERS who have continued to trade on Thursdays while construction work takes place at Bury Market have received a final warning from the council.

A new fish and meat market is currently under construction and traders are banned from opening on non-market days when the area is designated as a building site.

On these days traders are only allowed to service their stalls, minimising the number of shoppers in the area and allowing the contractors to work on the new building.

Last week barriers went up on the site, closing off certain areas of the market to shoppers.

Bury Council say they will be in place on every non-market day in the interests of health and safety.

This has incensed Margaret Henshaw, who runs Margaret's Flowers on the market.

She said: "There are a few traders working on Thursdays but I am the only one that has been blocked off.

"Customers can't get to the stall and I can't get to my stock cabin very easily. "This is a personal vendetta against me. I am being bullied and intimidated.

"There is no danger and the contractors are not disrupted by my stall being open.

"Bury Open Market Traders' Association want me to close on Thursday because everyone else does. But most of the others have never opened on that day anyway so they are not losing out. I pay rent to the council and have built up a good trade on Thursdays.

"And when the fish market is finished we will be asked to work on Thursdays.

"I think the council are prepared to sacrifice all the other Thursday traders to get at me.

"The council has offered to move me during the work but I have worked very hard for this corner. The alternative site is not in a good place to attract shoppers."

Borough Property Services Officer Mr Keith Beamer responded: "We will be writing to traders to confirm that there is no trading on Thursdays.

"We have offered Mrs Henshaw an alternative site on the flea market which would allow her to trade on Thursdays.

"We have sympathy with all our traders and we are trying to work with them through what is a difficult time for everybody."

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