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The closure of Intu Lakeside's new food market hall before Christmas has left traders out of work.

The Hall opened in July last year as part of the shopping centre's £72 million leisure development.

The idea was to create a trendy London-like place for independent food traders to flourish, serving pizza, Chinese, Indian, kebabs and burgers.

But on December 22, it closed for good, citing a lack of footfall as well as delays to new brands opening within the food market.

Many employees are now desperately trying to find new work to pay their bills following one of the most expensive months of the year.

"It has left me in a bad place financially and mentally"

(Image: WWW.She-pap.co.uk)

Megan Cody, 20, from Ockendon, had a full-time job at Love Churros and was in complete shock when she found out The Hall was closing.

She claims she only found out two days before the closure that she would be out of work and now has to borrow money from her mum while in search of another job.

"I'm still out of a job now," she said. "I can't get a job around Christmas time because they already have all of the Christmas temps," she explained.

"I have had to ask my mum to give me money because I can't pay for my bills. It was right on the top of Christmas and I have got all these bills coming out in January.

"I was able to pay it when I was due and now I can't. It's the Christmas season so people are not looking or taking people on at the moment.

"It has left me in a bad place financially and mentally."

"No-one is hiring"

Jack Kenworthy, 29, from Stanford Le Hope, was a full-time manager at Funghi Pizza.

He is also frustrated that they were suddenly dropped with such short notice.

"The hardest thing when working in retail is that everyone has got their staff and no one is hiring. I have worked in that industry for the last nine years," Jack said.

"We literally got told on the Thursday (December 19) - I heard something from one of the other traders and when I questioned my boss they said don't worry.

"Then he came back to me an hour later and he said I'm so sorry they are shutting this Saturday.

"When I found out I then called everyone around and said we all have no jobs.

"I'm trying to get a job in the new year and nowhere is hiring.

"I can't go to a minimum wage because I can't afford to pay the lifestyle I have with that. Unfortunately for us we didn't have the chance to relocate that some did."

"I have got bills to pay"

Rebecca Clarke, 21, from Chadwell St Mary's, also worked at Love Churros.

She has one-year-old twins and is worried about paying the bills this month after her dismissal.

"No one wants to hire in January. I have literally applied to everything.

"If I had warning I could have had something in place I have got bills to pay. I don't really get upset, there's no point I just get angry - I was on a rampage."

The Hall comment

A spokesperson for Market Halls, who ran The Hall at Intu Lakeside, said: "It is with deep regret that we announce the closure of The Hall’s first and only outlet - The Hall, intu Lakeside.

"We were very excited about the promise of the expansion plans of intu Lakeside but due to a variety of reasons, including delays to the opening of other key tenants, we never saw the levels of footfall required to sustain a business of our nature.

"There is, of course, no ideal time to close a business but due to the site’s trading levels, it was sadly unviable to keep open over the Christmas period. All of the staff were correctly informed and consulted on a one to one basis about the closure and offered positions within the business.

"The management team and over 50 per cent of the staff are coming to work within other areas of the business in central London. Understandably, the commute was too much for some. The team were paid salaries owed, holidays and an extra notice amount."

A spokesperson for intu Lakeside said:“We’re always sorry to see a store close and we wish everyone affected all the very best.

“The Hall’s decision to cease trading was a commercial one taken by the business’s owners.

“Footfall at the centre has been really positive and thousands of people enjoy the new leisure facilities at The Quay every day. Feedback from tenants has been extremely encouraging and customers have been delighted with our new leisure and increased dining options.”