MARKET traders could be evicted from a Teesside shopping centre if a £3m improvement plan goes ahead.

The disgruntled market stallholders said they feared they would be left jobless if Redleaf VI Fund, which owns the Castlegate Shopping Centre, in Stockton, pushes ahead with its proposals.

Stockton Borough Council has written to tenants in the shopping centre informing them of Redleaf's plans to demolish the seven indoor market stalls.

Instead, it wants to use the space for up to three additional shops, with upstairs storage, and is planning to build a ceiling facade.

Redleaf director and head of property, Ashley Blake, said the improvements were vital if the Castlegate was to remain competitive.

"These improvements have been anticipated by the market stallholders for a very long time," he said.

"Stockton is a great place to shop, but we have to keep it up to speed.

"We are trying to make the centre warmer and brighter. Unfortunately, the market is letting it down. It's not a huge market, so I think putting in some larger, quality retail units will help us to compete with the Middlesbroughs and Darlingtons."

Mr Blake said previous owners Quintain had obtained permission for the alterations, but had not acted on it within the given five-year period.

Redleaf now wished to carry it on, but he said the work would not be complete until well into next year, so the market stalls would remain for sometime.

But Brian Peacock, 47, whose family fruit and veg stall Peacock's has been in the market since 1973, said he would be forced to close and find another job.

"We are not very pleased because it's the end of the road for us," he said.

"We want to stay here. There are other shop units we could go for in the Castlegate centre, but the rent is too high and they are too big.

"I don't think I could get much else, other than a labouring job, at my age."

And 73-year-old butcher Dennis Marley, who has also run a stall since 1973, said he had hoped to pass the business on to his son.

"After being here all this time, they are just going to push us out," he said.

"We haven't been given any alternative yet, or formal notice, but we have known for some years they wanted to do this. The thing is, I think we actually attract custom into the centre."

A decision could be taken as early as next month.