SHOPPERS have reacted angrily to the planned closure of Malmesbury's Sunday market and are setting up a petition to have it reinstated.

It is only two months since the market opened but on November 11 the town council took the dramatic decision to stop the market after strong protests from traders over unfair competition and loss of trade.

Malmesbury Abbey and St Aldhelm's Roman Catholic Church at Cross Hayes also complained to the council that the market was causing parking problems.

But the market's customers are displaying their disgust at the decision by setting up a petition calling for the market to continue.

David Forward, 48, of Hobbes Close Malmesbury, felt so strongly at the council decision to close the market he has set up Save Malmesbury Market Action Committee.

He said: "I think the council has taken the decision too soon. They should have postponed the decision and done more work by talking to stall holders and local people and found out what the majority view actually is.

"We will conducting either a petition or poll of people to see what they think and will be making that information available to anybody that wants it."

Traders were unhappy with the way the town council introduced the market. One shopkeeper, Sue Bush of the Workbox on the High Street, said business had got so bad the shop faced closure if the slump in trade continued.

Two traders, Stan Malpas of ASM Outfitters on the High Street and Richard Walker of Walker Butchers, Market Cross, banned councillors from their shops as the feud between the council and traders intensified.

Market regular Lesley Bennett, of Luckington, said traders should accept the competition.

She said: "The market was good for the town and was good for traders. They have got to stop looking to the past and look beyond the High Street.

"I think competition is a good thing and it is sad that their toy town mentality is spoiling what could be a great town for residents and visitors."

Landmark Markets, which pays the town council £400 a week to run the market, said it was amazed at the decision to close the market.

Market operations manager Karl Waldron blamed local traders' "lynch-mob attitude" for the closure and said traders had been aggressive to councillors by barring them from shops and abusing them on the street.

He said the market has been an unprecedented success since it opened in September, with around 5,000 people visiting every Sunday.

He said: "I can't believe this has happened. We have never experienced this kind of opposition from traders anywhere. It is unprecedented.

"But the response from visitors has been lovely. They came up to me this Sunday and vociferously expressed their views. People have shown their opinion by voting with their feet."

Chairman of the chamber, Alan Woodward, said he felt the council had taken the decision to start a market without consulting the traders. It also assured the chamber there would be no direct competition but there were stalls selling meat, bread and cheese.

Mr Woodward said the chamber and the council had a "positive" meeting on Friday. He said: "We expressed that we would like more consultation in the future so our members can be better informed as to what is happening."

The council has issued a statement, which said: "Meetings to discuss the market have not been held in a calm atmosphere and answers provided by the town council have not been fully understood. Unfortunately the last market will be held on Sunday November 30. It is hoped that the market will return to Malmesbury. Talks are already under way."

Landmark Markets has advised it does not owe money to the town council and has not bounced a cheque, as reported last week.