MARKET traders revived a tradition after a gap of 67 years yesterday when stallholders were awarded prizes for getting into the Christmas spirit.

Up until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, the owner of the most impressively decorated Christmas market stall in Darlington used to receive a large silver cup.

Yesterday, after a break of nearly seven decades, six stallholders in the outdoor and indoor markets were presented with cash prizes.

Tracey Liddle, who runs a stall selling Christmas dec- orations and lights in the indoor market, won the £100 first prize and promptly donated it to the National Federation of Market Traders appeal to install a heart start defibrillator machine in the indoor market.

Chris Smith, who runs a yarn shop, and Dawn Wheeler, who runs a hardware stall, were given £50 prizes as runners-up in the indoor market.

Keith Leighton, who runs a pet stall, won the £100 first prize for the outdoor market. Runners-up prizes of £50 each went to Ann Foster, who runs a crafts stall and Kevin Brown who sells cards from his outdoor stall.

The competition was judged by Barry Nelson, health editor of The Northern Echo.