Silence on the market! Fruit seller is banned for shouting as he could damage people's health



New rules prevent 70 traders flogging their wares nearly every day

Traders warn ban on shouting could impact heavily on their sales

'It's lunacy. It is not supermarkets that are closing markets - it is the local councils', says greengrocer Simon Stanley who has been taken to court



There's nothing like the cry of 'Come on me lovelies! Apples 'n' pears! Ten for a paand!' to liven up a market.

But in Scunthorpe the bureaucrats like things a little less clamorous.

Council officials have caused fury by banning stallholders from pitching their goods.

Greengrocer Simon Stanley, left, who has been banned from the market and slapped with a £1,000 legal fee after pitching his wares to punters and right, his wife Trudi Stanley, who has been left to run the business alone



Barmy: Traders at Scunthorpe Market, pictured, have been banned from yelling out their prices over 'elf and safety fears they could damage people's hearing

Ever since trading began, sellers have shouted out their prices to attract customers. But strict rules on 'calling off' detailed in a council traders' charter have led to a greengrocer being taken to court, banned from his market for three months and hit with a £980 legal bill.

Simon Stanley's offence was to shout out his prices at his indoor market stall.

Several butchers have also been given written warnings for verbally hawking their wares and the 70 traders at Scunthorpe Market are refusing to recognise the controversial 'charter' – which even has a section on what 'banter' is allowed.

The rules – imposed without any discussion – state stallholders can only 'call off' after 1pm on Saturday. The market is open six days a week and for the rest of the time all shouting is banned.

New rules imposed in a so-called Traders' Charter prevent 70 traders flogging their wares in the market - a rule that traders warn could impact heavily on their sales

The only reason given for the baffling clampdown is to 'prevent annoyance to other traders'.

Mr Stanley, 45, who has been running his greengrocer's stall with wife Trudi, 39, for three years, was monitored by council investigators who detailed 16 incidents of him breaking the rules by 'calling off'.

The father of four was taken to county court three weeks ago and a three-month injunction was imposed, banning him from the market until December 12.

He said: 'It's lunacy. I have been shouting for three years here and never had a single complaint from a member of the public. Shouting out the prices of our goods is part of the atmosphere of a market.'

Julia Murray, 47, from the Scunthorpe Traders Association, said all the traders had been given the 'charter' to sign and no one had done so.

She said most in the food hall depended on pitching to sell perishable goods near the end of their shelf life.

North Lincolnshire Council said it could not comment on cases involving individual traders.