A FAMILY butcher has expanded its market operations by taking over a stall which closed suddenly earlier this year, aftermore than 100 years in business.

Fenwick's Family Butcher now has two stalls in Darlington's indoormarket aftermoving into a prominent stand left vacant by Prest and Villiers' move.

Fenwick's has been run for 22 years by brothers Nick and Nigel Fenwick.

They initially opened a shop in North Road, near Thompson Street, in Darlington, after their father, Ray, sold his pub - the Bay Horse, at Ravensworth, near Richmond - to set them up in business.

The brothers closed the shop three weeks ago to move into the covered market. It is their second stall in the market and will fill the void left by Prest and Villiers, selling many of the same products, such as cookedmeats, hot and cold sandwiches, pies and chicken. However, unlike Prest and Villiers, the produce will be made on site.

The brothers' other stall - next to the side entrance to the covered market - is a traditional butcher's.

Nick Fenwick said: "There was a big hole here when Prest and Villiers closed.

"We have a good name on our cooked meat and pies. We needed a big counter anyway and this came along."

His brother, Nigel, said footfall in the market was lower than when they originally set up, but they hoped the new site would attract customers because of its prime location near the top entrance.

Robin Blair, a greengrocer for more than 50 years and whose two covered market stalls are either side of the Fenwicks' new stall, said: "We are very lucky to have these two to fill this sort of stall.

They have put a lot of time and effort in.

"We need to see younger people back in the market."

Prest and Villiers had been in operation for 103 years. It occupied a stall in the covered market and had an outlet on the Albert Hill industrial estate at the time of its sudden closure in March.