Trade dissolves under leaky roof

A basin catches the drips above Peter Haq fashions

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AN angry Tommyfield trader has hit out after he was forced to close his stall because of a leak in the market-hall roof.

The recent downpours have proved a washout for Abid Mahmood, who was forced to close Top Gear Footwear on Friday after the rain conspired to turn his shop into a health and safety hazard.

He said: “Having to close on Friday cost me about £500, but I couldn’t risk having customers near the shop. A lady slipped the other day and she was really shaken up.

“By Friday about half of my shop was covered with buckets and cones. I realised it wasn’t safe to open my doors. I didn’t want anyone to have an accident.”

Stallholders say that the leak in the roof has existed for a few years, but that the torrential rain of the past week has caused serious problems.

And staff at the Peter Haq knitwear stall have had to serve customers while sheltering under a huge plastic sheet.

Mr Mahmood said: “The council has been down a few times but the problem hasn’t been repaired. They say they will sort it out soon, but having to close on one of the busiest trading days has hit me hard.

The stallholders are looking for a speedier solution, especially considering the high rents we pay.”

A council spokesman said workmen would investigate the cause of the leaks once weather conditions improved, and the problem would be fixed as quickly as possible.

He added: “We appreciate that this is extremely inconvenient to traders and their customers, and are striving to identify and repair the problem. We apologise for the inconvenience.”