'We are fighting for our survival'

But take a stroll through the indoor or outdoor markets in Darlington, and you leave with the impression that individuality, an array of choice and the personal touch are, in fact, no longer wanted - qualities consigned to a bygone era.

On a surprisingly sunny Monday towards the end of last month, the scene in the Market Square could hardly have been described as bustling.

At a time when bargain hunters were out in force, wallets at the ready, there was little festive cheer among the stallholders trying to tempt shoppers to part with their cash.

For their workplace is, they believe, neglected, unloved and perhaps even unwanted by the powers-that-be.

Central to their recent problems has been the removal of bus stops from West Row - prompting a massive shift in people towards the Northgate end of the town centre.

The days when customers were dropped off and picked up on the doorstop of the grand old covered market are gone.

And while council bosses talk about how vibrant the area could be in a few years' time, their words are little consolation to those who must survive until then.

Iftikhar Ahmed, who has a large clothing business, has paid the authority about £10,000 a year in rent - only to see an alarming decline in trade.

"My takings are down 60 or 70 per cent, and that's no exaggeration," he said.

"Since the bus stops went, all the customers have dispersed. People don't like change, especially the elderly, and the council is not helping us in any way. It is the most expensive market in the North-East.

"Myself and my family have made the decision that we won't trade any more Mondays after Christmas. We just can't afford it."

His sentiments are echoed elsewhere.

Kevin Brown, who has run a greetings card business for 29 years, has seen a ten per cent drop in trade.

"A lot of the older people are saying it is simply too far for them to walk," he said.

However, a rent reduction, which is one of the most popular demands among traders, will not be forthcoming, according to the local authority.

"Rents for the outdoor traders have hardly increased in real terms in recent years," said a council spokeswoman.

"Small changes to rents would have little effect on profit. We are working with market traders to find practical solutions to any problems they experience during the pedestrian heart works."

The National Market Traders' Federation fears that the outdoor stallholders may not survive a cold, lonely festive season.

And in the covered market hall, one of the oldest and best of its type in the region, traders' tales of woe are similar to those of their outdoor counterparts.

Anita Lee, of the Play shop, which fronts on to West Row, has seen taking slump by up to 40 per cent.

"It's been horrendous - absolutely horrendous. The bulk of people now are down at the Marks & Spencer end of town," she said.

Butcher David Jackson, in business since 1978, said: "I appreciate there are developments going ahead, but they don't realise the impact it's having on us.

"We're now saying to our customers, 'if you can't come to us, we'll come to you'.

"We have a big customer call from all the housing estates. People want to save money and they save money in the markets, but we can't get them here now."

For fresh produce trader Robin Blair, whose family firm has been involved with the market for more than 50 years, it is a troubling time.

"It's on a knife-edge," he said.

"We're getting a lot of reaction from customers saying they just can't get to us easily anymore.

"The newsagents is a classic example. People used to get off the bus and call in for a paper and a packet of cigarettes, but that is not happening anymore.

"A lot of the trade used to be from 3pm onwards. People would be waiting outside and a lot would call in for the ten or 15 minutes before their bus came."

The lure of the supermarkets, with their special offers, ease of parking and increasing expansion into non-food retail, is also hitting hard.

But there seems little likelihood of traders reaching an agreement with the town hall .

"Losing the parking on the Market Square was a blow. I would say we lost a third of our trade when that happened," said Mr Blair.

"We got over that period and moved on to a period where we needed the public transport, but now the buses have been taken away from the market as well."

However, cars in Market Square are not an option, according to the local authority.

A spokeswoman said: "The market is not affected by lack of parking, the changes to the Market Place have helped make the town a more attractive place to shoppers.

"There is a lot of new car parking in town, with the new deck on the East Street car park, and the Crown Street car park, set to re-open soon.

"There is also short-term car parking around the market, which many shops in the town do not benefit from."

If the threat from the supermarkets already trading in the area is a concern, then the prospect of the retail phenomenon that is Tesco moving in ought to cause outright panic.

The company has held talks with the council about demolishing the town hall and building modern council offices alongside a supermarket and housing.

Tesco has increasingly encroached into high street territory across the country in recent times, much to the fury of independent traders, who struggle to compete.

In Darlington, however, reaction is mixed.

While some traders fear for their futures, others welcome the prospect of Tesco's arrival, believing it could see customers flocking back to their part of the town.

"If Tesco does come, I would like to see some investment from them in the town to help keep these traditional places," said Mr Blair.

"It would be a massive shame if the town centre lost its tradition and only had a Tesco to rely on."

So while it seems that the only challenge facing Market Street is how to deal with trolley congestion, Darlington's independent traders have more serious matters to contemplate.

The town must wait and see how - and possibly if - its indoor and outdoor markets survive a bleak winter.