BUSINESS leaders have called on Braintree Council to spruce up the town’s market.

Shop owners told council bosses at a public meeting they wanted stalls to smarten up and for more traders to be drafted in.

Braintree Town Team discussed several ideas with the council’s market operations manager Samir Pandya at a meeting on Monday.

Concerns raised included loose paving slabs, inconsiderate parking by traders and the positioning of some stalls outside shops selling similar goods.

Mr Pandya said paving slabs were an Essex County Council issue and county bosses will only meet the “minimum requirements for health and safety”.

Town team members also asked the council to consider a monthly market on “pay-day Sunday,” although Mr Pandya said stall holders had shown no interest in the idea in the past.

Mr Pandya agreed to see if there was any “red tape” preventing a Sunday market in theory.