TUESDAY trading on Salisbury’s Charter Market could be gone within four years if weekday profits continue to nosedive, stallholders have warned, ending a tradition dating back to 1227.

Some say Tuesday takings have halved since the 2013 market revamp.

They are demanding Salisbury City Council, which runs the market, becomes more flexible — especially in bad weather.

Traders say when it rains they should be allowed to bring vans onto the square and the council should be doing more to attract customers.

Pet food stallholder and councillor Ian Tomes said: “They have got to grasp how serious the situation is. You would be hard pressed to find a market trader on a Tuesday who is making any money.”

On Tuesday the market was near deserted as high winds and rain kept punters and stallholders away.

Phil Pitman, who has run a clothing stall for 40 years, believes not having vans nearby puts off traders in bad weather.

And he thinks there should be a way for traders to shackle down stalls to protect against the wind.

“They have treated this as sacred ground because they have spent so much money on it,” he said.

“When the weather is bad, you need shelter from gale force winds and you need to be ready to pack-up.”

The council raised pitch prices by four per cent this year and cut discounts for advance payments, meaning an effective price rise of nine per cent.

Trader Trevor James told a council meeting earlier this month he had already stopped Tuesday trading because it was unprofitable.

Stallholder Tony Luckett said: “Market traders who have not been here that long are giving up on Tuesdays. Other traders say bus pass changes mean many pensioners will avoid the market as they cannot catch a bus for free until 9.30am."

Luke Kerley, from Pritchett’s butchers, added: “They say they have loads of stalls on the waiting list but where are they?

"When we first started it didn’t matter if it was raining or whatever it was full. All the stalls would be busy. The Saturday one will survive but not the Tuesday one.”

City clerk Reg Williams said bringing vans back onto the market would make it “look like a great big car park” and would be “visually awful”.

He said although there is a waiting list not all are accepted as the council tries to maintain diversity.

January is traditionally a quiet month for the market with many stallholders going on holiday, he added.