TRADERS fear “unfair competition” from car boot sales could damage High Street businesses in a town already working to limit the impact of a new bypass.

Bedale car boot sales are held on Saturdays between April and October on the hall park at the edge of the town and regularly attract hundreds of visitors. They’re operated through the town council with local organisations and charities raising money from the events.

But there’s concern among traders they do not bring shoppers into the town centre with some selling new goods, instead of traditional second-hand car boot items.

Chris Moran, who runs Bedale Pet Shop in the High Street, took his concerns to the town council, asking that they clamp down on what is being sold.

Mr Moran said: “We are in no way opposed to competition, it isn’t about competition. The reason is there were several of us who wanted to raise concerns about the car boot sale. We noticed last year that it became predominantly a new produce market and that went on through the final months.

“Saturday traditionally is our busy day but last year it became so it was hardly worth opening. The sad thing is now on a Saturday the car boot is more successful than the traditional Tuesday market. It is an unfair trading platform and we are asking for fair competition.

“Our costs are spiralling. Why can’t we build the Tuesday market up? We are lucky if there are five stalls on Tuesdays.

“With the bypass opening people don’t have to come into the High Street to get to the car boot sale. The problem at the moment is it isn’t fair, we can’t compete with something that is so far out of the High Street. If we could incorporate some of the car boot sale into the High Street that would help.”

Cllr Amanda Coates said it was difficult to please everyone and it was just the start of the car boot season. “Bedale is very very busy and there are shops that people come into town for. We can’t force people to go into a particular shop,” she added.

Cllr Clive Pointon said they had clamped down for one business in the past.

Cllr Mike Barningham added: “The name of it being a car boot sale is a bit dated. It is a market, but not a traditional one. It is a Saturday market as such.”

Councillors agreed to look at the sales.