Stall holders at Ridley Road Shopping Village were left reeling after being told they would be evicted in two weeks, just before the Christmas rush.
Bosses of the indoor market told over 20 traders they had two weeks to clear out of Ridley Road after being handed a Community Protection Notice (CPN) by police. The bosses’ letter cited “numerous allegations of antisocial behaviour” as spurring the sudden closure.
Stall holders are now burdened with all of their Christmas stock and no means of selling it, prompting them to ask why police are intervening now. The shopping village in Dalston had been due to close on 29th December, to be turned into luxury housing and shops.
Some traders think the police’s seizure of drugs from one of the stalls has triggered the closure.
Stall-holder Barry Mohamed said: “They came and delivered me the letter that said we had to get out in two weeks because of drug dealing and violence in the market.”
“Only one stall was found with drugs. Why are the rest of us being punished for the actions of one person?”
Chris Nutley, owner of Raffles Jewellery which has been trading at Ridley Road for 38 years, said: “It’s not our fault that there’s antisocial behaviour and drugs around here, there has been for years.”
Instead, Nutley blames the lack of police in the area. “You can go three months without seeing a police officer, and they wonder why these problems are happening.”
Hackney Mayor, Philip Glanville said he was “appalled at the action of the market owners. They have chosen to use this CPN as an excuse to close the market early.”
Other stall holders are more understanding towards the owners.
“The council and police have been trying to shut us down for years,” Nutley said. “Why would the bosses spend £30,000 appealing the CPN with only a couple of months of trade left?”
