STOWMARKET traders have been given a boost with moves to breathe new life into the town's twice-weekly market.A market officer has been appointed in a bid to attract new stallholders and to enable it to flourish into the future.

STOWMARKET traders have been given a boost with moves to breathe new life into the town's twice-weekly market.

A market officer has been appointed in a bid to attract new stallholders and to enable it to flourish into the future.

Neville Tye is today getting to grips with his role and said one of his main priorities is to improve the range of stalls, particularly on Saturdays.

"If we can promote the market to bigger things then obviously the rest of the town will benefit, said the former Stowmarket Modern School pupil.

"I think the market is very important for the town. I remember it when I was a kid and it's always been here.

"We're going to try and get a few different stalls and we're hoping to make contact with market traders who don't come or who've stopped coming here."

His role is also to liase with other town traders and to carry out general duties in the market area on Thursdays and Saturdays. Mr Tye is initially working alongside town council maintenance supervisor David Wilding.

The position is being funded by Stowmaket town council and is the result of discussions on how to take the historic market forward.

Malcolm Baker, clerk of the council, said: "We see this as a positive move to meet the needs of the market traders.

"We obviously want more stalls. We've got a fair variety and it's fairly full and vibrant but not so much on Saturdays. The role of the market officer is to promote the market in every way he can."

Karl Gipson, a member of the town's market traders committee, has welcomed the moves.

He has been running a stall for the past 22 years and is part of a family of market traders who have been coming to Stowmarket for 50 years.

He said: "It does need to get a few more stalls to promote it a bit.

"We do get a fair amount of trade but it depends on the weather to be honest. We're hoping the new market officer will be able to make a difference."

For information on becoming a stallholder at Stowmarket's market, contact Mr Tye on 01449 612060 or 07743 922905.

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