Sweet stall made to leave market shuts for last time

Lot of residents fought for stall holder Kevin Hilliard to stay at the market including campaigner Jennie Pink

A sweet stall forced to stop trading at a market due to a healthy rebrand has closed for the final time.

More than 1,500 people backed an online petition to save Kevin Hilliard's pick-and-mix sweet stall at Saxmundham's Wednesday market in Suffolk.

The stall has been a regular feature at the trading event for more than 20 years but the town council said a rebrand was needed to "protect our market town heritage" and attract more shoppers.

Customers said they would be sorry to see the stall go and Mr Hilliard, 68, thanked them for their loyal support over two decades.

Saxmundham Town Council issued Mr Hilliard with a termination notice, and stated that the market was rebranding towards "fresh, healthy food"

''I'm feeling a bit sad to be moving on because the town has always been loyal to me and so I feel that I should be loyal to them," Mr Hilliard said.

"I'm very grateful for all the support I've had from the town and beyond, because I go to a lot of shows in the summer around the East Anglian region.

''I got a phone call from a bloke who runs a farmers' market in Stevenage, in Hertfordshire, and he said if it wasn't too far, I was always welcome to go there.

"So you know that must say something for him to say that a farmers' market with all its home-produced stuff would want me there.''

Customer Daniella Hurren said she was sad to see the stall go after she was taken there as a young girl by her parents

Customer Daniella Hurren, 24, said: ''I'm absolutely gutted. I've lived here all my life and my parents used to bring me here to the market to choose sweets and I always bring my children here to get some sweets.

''You come to the market and you expect the sweets to be here and to think it's been taken away is horrible. My little girl gets very excited to see the sweets so it's not very nice for it to go at all.''

Customers like Michael Light said they would miss the stall which has been at the market for more than 20 years

Michael Light said: ''I think it's quite sad really because I don't believe that a council or any governing body can dictate to the public what they can and can't buy.

"If you want to spend your money on sweets, do so.''

The town council said the market's rebranding towards "fresh, healthy food" was key to its survival.

"Saxmundham Wednesday Market has been in decline for a number of years... truthfully, it is on the brink of closure," the council said.

It added: "The social media response has been genuinely unexpected and we are taking on board the comments we are receiving.

"We sincerely wish that everyone who has engaged with this debate online would come out and regularly support their local market."