CLAIMS that a town's £45,000 Christmas market and ice rink attracted 25,000 visitors has been challenged by an opposition councillor.

Although traders in Spennymoor hailed the Sedgefield Borough Council project a success, Liberal Democrat councillor Ben Ord said that many of the stalls had not been used and the money should have been spent on improvements to the town centre.

He also claimed yesterday that many local people disbelieved the council's estimates of the number of visitors to the event.

Coun Ord is calling for an investigation by the authority's scrutiny committee to establish how much of the authority's £45,000 investment it got back.

He said: "People are repeatedly coming up to me saying these figures of 25,000 are unrealistic. Where are they getting the figures from? I'm awaiting the report into the Christmas market, but would like the figures substantiated.

"Whether I'm in the pub, picking up my wife or walking around town, people are coming up to me saying, 'What do they take us for? Do they think we are stupid?'

"You would never get 25,000 shoppers in Spennymoor in six months."

But shopkeepers welcomed the increase in trade the Christmas market generated.

Alison Collingwood, from Martins Newsagents, said: "It boosted trade. I'd like to see more things like the market in the town."

Sarah O'Hare, from the health shop Naturally, in King Street, said: "I noticed quite a big difference in the number of people around the town in general, which is quite good to see."

The authority declined to comment on Coun Ord's claims until after a report on the event had been published.