MYSTERY over the future of an indoor market deepened with a company, heavily tipped to take over the site, yesterday denying having an interest in the premises.

Stallholders operating from the market hall, in Middlesbrough's Hill Street Centre, were convinced that the national clothing chain store company, GAP, wanted to open a Teesside store in the centre - on the site of the market.

The 30 market businesses thought clearing the way for GAP was one of the reasons behind Royal & Sun Alliance - the builders of the centre - buying back from Middlesbrough council the freehold on the market hall.

Royal Sun Alliance has paid more than £16m over to the council for the local authority's interests on the car park, market hall and toilets with an additional payment subject to the property owner's "final determination on what it wants to do with the market hall". The additional payment is understood to be a further £2m.

A spokeswoman for GAP said emphatically: "We are not looking at it.'' A spokesman for the Royal & Sun Alliance said his company "will now begin the detailed process of consulting its tenants regarding their requirements". Meanwhile, trading in the market hall will continue as normal.

Stallholders launched a campaign to save the indoor market and block the sell out. Their petition was signed by thousands of shoppers.