MARKET traders in Burnley have called on the council to take action to reduce the number of empty stalls.

Stallholders have complained that high rents coupled with the tough economic climate are putting traders out of business.

Mohammed Younis, 54, who has had a stall since 1999, said he was concerned that the expensive rents would force him out of business.

He said: “In 1999, the market was full, but now there are a lot of empty stalls.

“I worry about my business. New traders have special rents and existing stallholders can’t compete.”

Beauty shop manager Christine Lonsdale, 55, said: “They don’t do enough to keep people in. They should lower the rents.”

Andrea Buckley, 45, manages a haberdashery on the market, and she said the empty shops were affecting traders’ morale.

She said: “We don’t feel secure. We don’t know who’s going to be left. It doesn’t give you a good feeling.”

But Craig Cain, 50, who has run a sweetshop on the market for 12 years, said changing shopping habits, rather than increasing overheads, were leading to the market’s decline.

He said: “It’s not just markets that are suffering. The high street is the same. People shop online now or visit big shopping centres like the Trafford Centre.

“The rents are a factor, but really people don’t want to shop in traditional markets anymore.”

The market has 119 stalls in total, with 90 occupied. 29 are empty but five are being used by the council as a business centre and seating areas.

Colin Hill, Burnley Council’s head of facilities management, said the council was working to fill the empty units.

He said: “As part of our proactive stance towards the market we encourage traders in products not already represented in the market to come to Burnley.

“We offer incentives to bring those businesses in that don’t conflict with existing ones. We’ve followed that practice for several years and it has been successful.

“In terms of rent levels, the current support packages mean that, for many, levels are below those paid in 2000 and for many substantially lower.

“This reflects the very difficult trading conditions that are affecting many other markets and independent traders across the country.”