Sunday market near me

Dagenham Market operator explains why it’s closing down permanently

03 Jun 20201.02 pm Haydn Jeavons

The market sold a vast array of clothing and other produce (credit: Dagenham Sunday Market)

Dagenham Sunday Market has closed down permanently and will not reopen, due to issues caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Charfleets Markets, the company which operates the market, in River Road, Barking, says it has explored “every possible option” but will be unable to comply with social distancing rules that dictate people must stay two metres away from each other.

Thousands of people attend the market each week, and Charfleets estimates it would have to reduce to number of traders by 40 per cent to comply with social distancing requirements.

In a letter to traders, Charlfeets said: “It has become clear the Dagenham Sunday Market, in its present form, does not allow social distancing to be maintained.

“Taking into account that we do have an unusually high number of visitors for a market … to comply with social distancing, we would need