TRADERS are warning that Darlington's covered market will cease to exist unless more money is spent on it.

People who own stalls in the market believe they have been let down by Darlington Borough Council.

They say the market is in need of major investment and are urging the council to spend money on it before it is too late.

Several businesses have left the market within recent weeks, including butchers J Lochner Ltd, which had been in the market for years.

And although the council says there has been a lot of interest in the vacant stalls, several still had their shutters up this week.

Charles Smith, chairman of the Darlington Retail Market Stallholders' Association, said: "At the moment the future of the covered market is not looking very rosy.

"The traders feel let down because many have been in the market for years, but there has been no reinvestment.

"The last time the covered market was repainted was in 1977, and this is just not good enough."

Currently, the leases of all traders in the market have come up for renewal and negotiations are under way between the stallholders and the council.

One of the major stumbling blocks is that the traders want to be able to give six months' notice to leave the market.

However, the council wants the traders to stay for two years before the six-month notice would come into effect.

"Some people have already voted with their feet and many more are just hanging on to see what the council comes up with.

If they do not get an acceptable package many more will leave," said Mr Smith.

"We are not being listened to by the council officers, despite the fact we bring business into Darlington and employ over 400 people, the majority of them being local," he said.

A Darlington council spokesman has dismissed suggestions of a mass exodus of traders from the market.

"The market managers have no other plans than to see the covered market flourish. We want people to commit for at least two years because we believe this will encourage them to invest in the market," he said