BROADWAY traders have clashed with the Lifford Hall trustees over the annual late night shopping event.

For many years now traders have held a Christmas shopping evening. They pay for all the advertising, have funded the Christmas lights and also pay for a band and entertainment while opening their doors to visitors after normal closing time.

Now they have heard that 23 companies from outside the village have booked into the Lifford Hall on the same night, Friday, December 2, and the rest of the weekend in direct competition.

Some Broadway traders were furious, but secretary of the trader's association, Dottie Friedli said: "I don't think it was meant. It was just unfortunate that the dates clashed with our event. The outside traders who have booked the hall will possibly be selling similar gifts in competition, which is not really fair. We just hope that next time when the trustees take bookings, they will see the whole picture and work with us."

Chairman of the traders' association, David Robinson said: "This is not the trustees fault, but an attempt by these outside traders to cash in on all our efforts. We have established a good late night shopping event which has taken ten years to build up.

They could have been offered just the Saturday and Sunday, or the following weekend."

No one from the Lifford Hall trustees was available for comment before the Journal went to press.