Traders face nine-day market closure after fire

Kingston's Ancient Market will close for nine days after further safety concerns were identified during inspections following a fire that destroyed several stalls and damaged nearby businesses on Tuesday.

Kingston Council said the whole market would shut from 10 to 18 October while damaged stalls are made safe, demolition work is prepared and the site is cleared.

Council leader Andreas Kirsch said the decision had not been taken lightly: "We know it has a big impact on the traders, not just the ones affected by the fire but all the other traders."

Investigators believe the blaze was caused by an electrical fault in a fridge, although London Fire Brigade has not said where it was located.

In an updated statement, the council said additional safety issues had been found during inspections on Friday.

It said: "We understand this is further disruption to traders who have already been hugely impacted. However, the closure is essential to ensure the safety of the public and the site."

Traders will not have to pay pitch fees while they are unable to operate.

The council said it and market operator Between the Bridges were "urgently working through options to help mitigate the loss of earnings for traders".

Kirsch said the council hoped the market would reopen after the planned closure, but stopped short of guaranteeing that would be possible.

"I can't give you an ironclad guarantee but this is our aim," he said.

"We know how much of an impact it has on the traders, on the residents, on the visitors. Everyone wants the market up and running as soon as possible."

Businesses around the perimeter of the market that were not affected by the fire will remain open.

The fire damaged several market stalls and nearby shops, including Lush, Greggs, Hotter and a bureau de change.

Fishmonger Tim Meads, who has traded at the market for 42 years, previously described the impact of the fire as "devastating".

"It's taken everything away from me," he said. "Hopefully we will rebuild, the town needs us. At the moment I've lost everything."

Local resident Tim Mardon told the BBC on Saturday that he hoped traders affected by the fire would be back in business as soon as possible.

"I know Tim the fish man really, really well," he said.

"He's a lovely, lovely bloke. I would like him and all his colleagues to be up and running as quickly as possible."

Another resident, Anmol Brahmbhatt, said the closure came at a particularly difficult time of year for traders.

"The lead-up to Christmas is probably where they make the most profit," he said.

"So to not have that, it makes you think, with the cost of living nowadays, how are they going to cope?"

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