THE former operator of Droitwich Spa's defunct market has hit out at claims they were responsible for its demise.

Wendy Fair Markets is demanding an apology from Brian Norfolk, Wychavon District Council's head of corporate projects, after he said they pulled out of running the market last November.

Mr Norfolk's statement was printed in the Advertiser just weeks before trading ceased.

Nick Hobday, of Wendy Fair Markets, said: "This is a blatant lie and not the case. This casts a slur on the name of Wendy Fair Markets and our professionalism on the way we run our business.

"We have never had a contract terminated or failed to fulfil our responsibilities. A major part of our business is local government contracts and this will be detrimental to us obtaining more in the future if they think we will just leave."

He said it was a mutual decision to end the contract after the authority's officers said they could no longer cover the monthly £1,200 costs.

Mr Hobday also claims he always had reservations about running the new market when it moved from the undercover hall to make room for Waitrose.

He added: "I expressed my concerns about the viability of the proposed market for a number of reasons.

"The existing one was in terminal decline because it did not have a critical mass of traders to attract the public and was not a good start for the new market."

However, Mr Hobday said they agreed to run a non-profit making market because it could lead to a future contract.

He has written to the district council demanding an apology for the statement.

Penny Gibson, the authority's property services manager said: "There was a mutual understanding between the market operator and us that as the market was trading poorly it would cease to operate.

"Then we would look at the options when Waitrose opened.

"We apologise if there was any misunderstanding as to why the market closed."