A BLACKBURN trader met his Waterloo when he tried to sell French produce at a town centre continental market.

Visiting French stallholders forced Matthew Mayman to remove 1,500 olives from his stall.

When council officials tried to restore the 'entente cordiale', one of them offered to buy all the olives with his own money to stop them being binned.

The continental market is in Church Street, Blackburn, over the weekend.

Gallic anger erupted when the traders saw that Matthew was selling French products.They told him the olives, mustard and pat clashed with their own products.

Blackburn with Darwen Council officials mediated and a compromise was reached. Matthew, 34, who owns the Chilli Lime Deli in Fleming Square, Blackburn, moved his French stock back to his shop but was able to leave tasters on the stall. He said he had removed 50 boxes of olives, selling at £1.30 each.

French stallholders paid the council for their stalls, but Matthew was invited on the council's stall for free.

Matthew said: "The French traders said that because they are paying for their stalls they don't want people selling the same products.

"A French woman came and said 'What are you doing here?'

"I was annoyed at first. I had to take all my products back to the shop and just leave tasters.

"I sell the products in my Blackburn shop so I don't see why they shouldn't be sold here. "But Matthew added that his shop was very busy as a result of his stall on the continental market and he complimented the council on their handling of the situation.

Brigette Fagnan, a French cheese stall holder from Normandy said: "We are a group who come across together and bring our products. It's very expensive for us.

"We sell real French products. Customers don't like it when it's English people who sell the French products. We just don't know why he was here."

The presence of Matthew's stall followed complaints from Blackburn traders last year that they were not included in the event.

Adam Scott, director of regeneration, housing and neighbourhoods, said: "The Chilli Lime Deli was invited on to the council's regeneration stall at the market to promote their business as part of Fleming Square, a major regeneration project in the town.

"There was a slight disagreement when it was discovered that the olives he was selling were in direct competition with another stall but it was soon resolved amicably when they were substituted for other goods from his shop.

"The continental market is part of Blackburn's Streetlife Summer festival of shopping and fun which runs through June and the first weekend in August.

"This festival is a regeneration initiative designed to bring life to the streets of Blackburn, attract more visitors and shoppers to the town centre and support local businesses."