TRADERS were angry after yesterday’s market was cancelled because of high winds.
The council’s market manager decided the weather was too dangerous to allow stallholders to set up, but that infuriated three traders who claim they should have been allowed the option to work.
Stallholder Robbie Ridley said: “I arrived at 7.30am to be told that due to the weather, the market was cancelled.
“The forecast was for heavy winds early on, but for it to settle down later. I had travelled from Newcastle and I had no warning.”
He added: “I’d always been led to believe that no decision over the market going ahead would be taken until 9.30am on the day.
“It’s our decision whether we work or not, that’s what we have public liability insurance for.
“We should have been offered that chance as you are in other markets in the region.”
Fellow trader Yvonne Martin, who has worked in Shields Market for more than 40 years, said traders had the “right to work”.
She added: “The weather wasn’t that bad, we could have easily set up,
“We have faced much worse over the winter and still worked through it.”
A South Tyneside Council spokesman said: “Yesterday’s market was cancelled in the interests of public safety due to high winds.”
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