ANOTHER stallholder has decided to quit the six-day-market over concerns about a sharp fall in footfall.

Far more than five year, Jay Raza’s stall, Insight Clothing, in the six-day-market has been the sole provider of men’s clothing in Darwen.

But the 27-year-old, who also has stalls in Blackburn and Accrington market, decided to give up on Darwen due to a lack of shoppers.

Mr Raza, from Preston New Road, Blackburn, said: “I’m really sad to be going.

“It’s always been a good atmosphere here, with everyone looking after each other.

“There is not a single trader who has not looked out for me in the years I have been here.

“That’s part of the reason I’ve stayed as long as I have, that and the customers."

Mr Raza joins a long list of stall holders who are choosing to move their businesses elsewhere.

Just last month M and O Fishmongers, who started their business in Darwen chose to close their market stall and focus on their shop in Horwich,

Mr Raza said: “It’s since it was announced that the three-day-market was closing that footfall has become a problem.

“Literally over night people just stopped coming in.

“They assumed that we would be closing as well as the three day market so a lot of people have been put off.

“Without the footfall people can’t make their rent, it’s as simple as that.

“The market has been the heart of the town and to see it like this is really sad.

“It was a good market, it was something people could rely on.

“I feel sorry for the people relying on it as their whole source of income."

Mr Raza comes from a family of market traders, his grandfather recently retired after 40 years in the business.

He said: “It’s not just the closure of the three-day-market that’s caused it.

“It’s to do with the local mindset.

“I think the way the market is run needs to be revitalised.

“The attitude is the same as it was in the 60s and 70s and it doesn’t work now.

“We need to find a way to introduce markets to a younger generation."

Stall holder Jean Sugden said: “Jay was the only person who sold men’s wear, so it’s not good at all.

“I’ve been working on the markets for more that 40 years and I’ve never known it as bad as this.

“It’s time for the council to get involved and start working with us.”

Cllr Phil Riley, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s regeneration boss, said: “We are very concious of the fact that there are traders leaving and that we need to try and attract younger shoppers.

“But in the end it’s a comercial exercise and the councils can’t make traders stay."