TRADERS who attend Barnard Castle market are to meet council officials today after an anonymous letter was circulated in the town.

About 25 stallholders have been invited to the council offices to discuss stall rents and any other issues they wish to raise with Mark Ladyman, the authority's director of community services, and other officials.

The meeting follows the resignation of Tom Jackson, who worked for the council for 22 years.

He collected rents from stallholders at the Wednesday open air market and served as a pest control operator on other days. He was suspended from duty three weeks ago.

Police have confirmed that he was arrested and questioned at that time, but no charges were made. He later resigned.

Charles Anderson, chief executive of Teesdale District Council, said yesterday there were distortions and inaccuracies in the computer-generated anonymous letter, copies of which were being passed around by the public.

Mr Anderson, who will not be present at today's meeting, said: "All the stallholders will have a chance to say what they want."

Some councillors have protested that they have not been given details of the case, but Mr Anderson said: "Staff matters such as this have to be dealt with by the officers, and there is no need to report them to the members."

One man, who received the letter through the post at his home, said: "I've nothing to do with the council, so I presume the writer must have sent it to a number of local residents."

Mr Jackson, of Corn Close, Startforth, who was a popular figure with traders and shoppers as he looked after the market, said yesterday: "I have absolutely no comment to make."