WATCH:Downham Market residents call for the Council to be "voted out on no confidence" following market trader row

Last night Downham's Market Square was crowded with angry residents calling for the town's Council to be "voted out" following a shock move last week to revoke the licences of two market traders.

Councillor Steve Moyses stood alongside fellow councillors Doug Lawson, Justin Lewis, Frank Damon, John Doyle and Charlie Pyatt to address a large crowd about the conduct of the Council.

The meeting comes days after two stallholders, Betty Moyses and Belinda Leach were informed that they had lost their licences, after decades of trade on the market.

Mayor Jenny Groom said: "As a council we've supported the expansion and continuation of the market, and it's not true we intend to make it into a craft fair. There's no reason, if the traders should choose to appeal, why they can't get their licences back, but there is a very clear code of conduct for traders, which we feel has been breached.

"This isn't just in relation to the last meeting, but a series of other instances prior to that. We recognise that throughout lockdown these traders grafted and were out there every day to serve the public - it was not a decision taken lightly."

Mrs Groom was not in attendance at the rally last night, nor were the Clerk Elaine Oliver, Councillor Jackie Westrop or Councillor Becky Haynes.

Conservative Borough councillor Shimit Patel, who owns KP and Sons in Downham, was seen in the crowd but said he had "no comment" on the recent events.

One speaker said: "Members of the public have tried to ask questions of the council in meetings, like Tony did at the last meeting.

"Unless the public submit a question the week before via the methods available, they can not pose a question to the Mayor at a public meeting.

"So many people have attempted to ask questions about the market through the forms, but the council hasn't got back and therefore people are prevented from speaking at meetings - this is unacceptable."

Tony Leach, brother of Belinda Leach spoke at the last meeting saying traders had "lost their freedom of speech", which sparked the now infamous row that reached daytime television.

The crowd cheered as one resident, Theresa, took to the microphone saying: "We need the market, we need to have a thriving town. We need low rents lots of shops, we need choice - it's up to us to make sure that this council gets voted out, kicked out, booted out.

"The thing I really don't understand is co-opting, the people who've been co-opted on to this council should resign now."

Another resident Val Leivers said: "I love Downham, this is a wonderful town and we need to get this sorted and have a plan of action.

"I agree about co-opting, they are good people some of them but we need to get this sorted and have a plan of action."

Betty Moyses spoke to the crowd through tears, thanking them for their support.

She said: "Thank you, if we didn't do this tonight we would never be back on the stall serving you again, thank you for everything -Belinda and Tony at the back there and for all the traders that are here to support us."

The crowd responded with cries of "yes you will, you'll be back".

One woman said: "They're not just stallholders they've become our friends over the years."

Her husband Steve Moyses said: "You remember the names of those who are destroying this town and vote against them.

"Put the good councillors that are waiting to come in on the council, remember the names and get them out."

Mr Pyatt said: "We shouldn't wait for the next meeting, we should do it from tonight, we should show them now we will not put up with their actions."

There were many people who reminisced about the market in it's heyday, with former traders coming forward to speak about the "thriving" market of old that was the "heart of the town".

Other matters were discussed such as the occupation of the town hall by the NHS vaccination team, which has been in effect since March.

Mr Pyatt said: "They say they need this hall for covid, and if we have another wave, but why should we have to have council meetings at the Jubilee Centre and stand outside?"

Mrs Groom has said: "The vaccine hub is needed for the town, and we need to be able to respond to the demands for the coronavirus vaccine, especially if a large swathe of the town- who are elderly, need a booster jab.

"We cannot praise the vaccine effort enough."

Another issue mentioned was the recent closure of the boxing club on Howdale Road, which has been operating for nine years.

Mr Pyatt said that since the closure there has been a "50 per cent rise in crime", however this is yet to be confirmed by Norfolk police.

He said: "The building has been declared unfit for purpose due to safety, but it's just another example of the council taking away something that is good for the town and the town's young people."

The Mayor has confirmed the building was decreed unsafe after an inspection earlier this year.

However, the previous tenants, Mandy and Steve Kirby who ran the boxing club said: "It was said to be unsafe but we haven't seen any inspection report."

Councillor Doug Lawson encouraged everyone in attendance to put their grievances in writing, calling a meeting earlier than the official date of October 5.

Posters have gone up around town encouraging the public to attend the next meeting, along with a QR code leading to a website in the town Council colours.

The website details the last meeting and links news coverage of the events.

Foreign Secretary and South West Norfolk MP Liz Truss has released a statement following the uproar and the Mayor released a statement on Monday.