SUDELL Ward Councillor Jane Oates has responded to Cllr Paul Browne's claims that stall holders are leaving Darwen six-day-market because the rents have gone up.

Cllr Browne said: "I am disgusted with the way the Borough Council are treating our stall holders.

"The biggest issue there is the rents.

"They're frightened to say anything incase the council put their rents up again."

Cllr Oates said: "It's nothing to do with the rents and everything to do with the footfall.

"The people of Darwen are not using the market so it is not viable for the stall holders to stay there.

"They aren't making any money so they can't stay.

"I know myself because I shop there, people just aren't interested in the market any more.

"No one wants to buy clothes off the market anymore and they don't go there for food.

"They want to get it all under one roof.

"To say that it's because of the rents is purely political.

"When the new market manager took over last year I went through everything and the rents have not changed.

"The trends have changed and people don't want to shop there.

"We need to find a way of attracting the younger generation in there."