FARNWORTH Market is set to close for good — after plans for a new site fell through.

Bolton Council has written to traders informing them that plans to relocate traders to a new area of the town's Market Precinct would not be moving forward due to lack of interest.

The current market is due to close to be redeveloped into a new retail area as part of the multi-million pound town centre regeneration by developers St Modwen.

Traders have been left shocked by the news which will see the closure of businesses from Friday, February 26.

Steve Rawcliffe and his family have been running a fruit and vegetable stall at the market place for 47 years.

The father of two from Leyland said he did not know what he would do if the market closed in February.

He said: "This is one of the oldest businesses in Farnworth. I know there are others but they will have changed hands over the years. This has always been in the family.

"God knows what I will do — I've done this all my life.

"It's not very nice. There are people here that I've seen shopping here since I was five and I'm 47 now."

Town hall chiefs investigated the possibility of a "demountable market" — temporary stalls — which could be based on the Market Precinct when the redevelopment was complete.

But they said that of the 35 traders contacted, six have left and only 11 expressed interest, making the plan financially unviable.

A council spokesman added: “We appreciate that this is a difficult time for traders.

“Unfortunately we can’t progress this option as there was just not enough demand."

Traders may now be relocated to Westhoughton Indoor Market or Bolton Outdoor Market.

The council has agreed to meet trader John Hill, who runs The Goldman stall, to discuss alternative suggestions.

Mr Hill, aged 50, a trader at the market for six and a half years, has put forward several alternative proposals including traders providing and erecting their own stalls with no costs to the council and nominating a stall holder to collect pitch fees on the council's behalf.

The only costs suggested are an initial advertising period to attract more traders, then traders taking over the cost via a levy on rents.

He said: "It's like we've all been given our redundancy notices.

"There has been something like 100 years of traditional market trading in Farnworth which will be ended and we are only asking for six months to at least try.

"It's a small market and something like that needs to be advertised for a couple of months, but build it and they will come.

"If it doesn't work in six months we can say at least we tried."

A Facebook page — Remembering Farnworth Market — has also been set up by traders to promote the history of the market.

Traders have sent out an appeal for help from comedians Peter Kay and Dave Spikey due to their links with Farnworth through the hit show Phoenix Nights.

On the page it said: "Help to keep a market in Farnworth. Don't let the council end years of tradition. We accept they are knocking the old market down, but why not let the traders carry on trading, continuing years of tradition, by keeping a market in Farnworth?"