Jobs to be lost when Scunthorpe market trader quits in row over shouting out to customers about his produce

A greengrocer is to quit Scunthorpe Market with the loss of nine part-time jobs after being banned for three months for pitching his wares.

Father-of-four Simon Stanley says he fell foul of a new market charter that he claims meant he ended up in Scunthorpe County Court with a £1,000 legal bill.

His landlords at North Lincolnshire Council have so far declined to make any comment about the three-month ban, which expires on December 12.

But the 45-year-old Keadby- based trader insisted: "I think the rules are absolutely daft and draconian. You cannot have a market without pitchers. Calling our wares is part of the atmosphere and character of a market and the shoppers love it."

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Mr Stanley and his wife Trudi started their greengrocer business three years ago and employed 11 part-time staff. But he says he was given a three-month ban after ignoring two written warnings to stop pitching until after 2pm on a Saturday.

He said North Lincolnshire Council served an injunction on him and says he was ordered to pay £1,000 legal costs at the court. Since the ban started, Mrs Stanley has run the stall single-handedly, with her husband standing outside the market, helping to load and unload lorries and barrows.

Mr Stanley said: "Many of the market traders, including the butchers who rely on pitching to boost business, have protested about the rules and some of my customers have petitioned for the ban to be lifted.

"But the market chiefs seem to me to have their heads in the sand and do not appear to want to listen to reasoning.

"Under the circumstances, I have decided to quit the market and transfer the business to a shop in Frances Street in Scunthorpe town centre. Unfortunately it will mean the loss of nine part-time jobs."

Roy Holland, spokesman for the National Market Traders Federation, said: "In general we support pitchers, but the problem is that there is not enough of them. We would agree with Mr Stanley that pitching is part of market life."