TRADERS say one of the Forest's longest running outdoor markets is doomed unless business picks up.

All the remaining traders at the once popular Coleford Market say they've seen a sharp decline in customers and takings have dwindled to the point where some are working at a loss.

"When I first came here 11 or 12 years ago, there were 38 traders and the whole place was full – you had to queue to get in," says Jeff Kirwin, who makes a 130 mile round journey to the market in his fresh fish van.

"Now it's falling on its knees. At one time Coleford was my mainstay. Customers regular as clockwork. I used to do £700 worth of business in a morning, last week it was £400. It just seems to be going down and down, especially since about March. It's just got worse and worse and it's now a case of either use it or lose it."

Trader, Bill Staite, does a 170 mile round trip from Wolverhampton to set up his fresh vegetable stall at the market says he's made a loss in five out of the last eight weeks.

"I have to start at 2.30 in the morning, all my veg is sourced from local farmers or traders and 95 per cent of the stuff I sell is cheaper than the supermarkets and its all fresh. I've got petrol and wages to pay. It's getting to the stage were unless we see more people coming through the market, unless more people know we're here, it's going to be impossible to carry on."

Mike Barden, who runs the 28-year-old market, says the trade started going down about five years ago, but the sharpest decline has been since the beginning of this year.

"We're just not getting the footfall. Younger people don't want to come out in the rain and cold and they also want to get everything in one go – putting it all on one card. It's not impossible to pay by cards in the market, but it isn't easy and most of the traders deal in cash."

Profile is a big issue for all the traders. They argue that if people knew about the market and the deals on offer they'd be more likely to use it and trade might pick up.

They claim the only other way of saving the market is a move to more central site in the town. Discussions have taken place in the past about opening up around the clocktower in Market Square, but there are issues about space and amount of parking needed.