Popular market closes

ONE of London's biggest and most colourful markets will close this Sunday.

Hackney Wick market and car boot sale, which regularly attracts 3,000 visitors, will shut because of plans to redevelop the site.

NHP Developments of Richmond has sold the site to property firm Foxpace.

The new owner has no plans to keep the market.

The market, next to an unused greyhound track, is notorious for selling everything and anything from secondhand furniture to video recorders, fridge freezers and postage stamps. It has been running for nearly two decades and has about 300 stalls.

Lee Watson, security supervisor at the stadium, said: "Traders I've spoken to are disillusioned. It's a way of life for them. For some trading is their main source of income.

The sky's the limit here.

Some people even drive down in their cars and trade them when they get here."

But Foxpace's managing director, James Barrymore, claims to have one interested party prepared to spend 1.5 million on redeveloping the site. He said: "There are plans to reopen the greyhound stadium and maybe even a disco. A market just doesn't sit well next to this."

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