A BUMPER crowd browsed among more than 40 stalls at the launch of Malvern's latest market.

The new weekly Tuesday event on Waitrose car park marks a return to the site, previously the Back Lane car park, where a market was held well into the 1990s.

For this week's launch more than 60 stallholders sold a variety of produce including fresh fish, meat, fruit and vegetables as well as household and electrical goods and clothing.

Chairman of the Great Malvern Traders' Assoc-iation Robin Elt said he was hugely impressed.

"I'm absolutely delighted with it. The organisation was excellent and the approach of the stalls was first class - it didn't spill out of its area like some markets can," he said.

"There was a good selection of traders and the turn-out was better than I expected.

"It can only be an asset to Malvern. On Tuesday there were many more people in the town - the sunshine helped but I think the market had an influence on that."

Despite the fine weather and the Easter holiday launch, Mr Elt saw no reason for a "wait and see" period to judge whether success would continue.

"I don't think we'll need one of those," he said, "I spoke to about a dozen traders and they all said sales were good. One guy had paid for his pitch by ten o'clock."

Launching the market, Doug Cotton, from Cotswolds-based market organisers Grenchurch Limited, said: "The market is coming back to its traditional home on a larger site.

"Malvern has always been a proud market town and the Friday market will continue down by the Council House. Stallholders there have also been offered positions here."

He said Grenchurch has a contract with Malvern Hills District Council for a number of years and he expected that quality and value for money to be found on the market would ensure its success.

"A company with the status of ours doesn't get involved in ventures that haven't got a foundation in the long term," said Mr Cotton.