Barnsley market trader under investigation over alleged assault

A market trader is under investigation by his Barnsley Council landlords after an incident in which a shopper allegedly ended up receiving a blow to the side of his head.
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Witnesses said the stallholder, said to have been within clear view of colleagues, appeared to strike the man after a confrontation between the two erupted.

The incident happened on December 18 on Cheapside, outside Barnsley’s flagship Glass Works market hall, and remains under investigation.

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Despite the allegation of violence, the council has allowed him to continue trading to his normal four days a week terms, according to trader colleagues.

Barnsley's new Glass Works market hallBarnsley's new Glass Works market hall
Barnsley's new Glass Works market hall

The Barnsley group of the National Market Traders’ Federation has now questioned the way Barnsley Council has implemented its policy regarding traders’ conduct.

The authority has recently issued updated guidance to its tenants over acceptable behaviour, with different sanctions within the policy applying to different levels of misdemeanour.

Assault would be in the most serious of four categories, resulting in the immediate cancellation of a stallholder’s lease, if proven.

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The Barnsley group’s vice chairman, Keiron Knight, said he would have expected an allegation of violent behaviour to have resulted in the trader being suspended until the issue was resolved.

It is understood other market traders are willing to offer witness statements but have not been approached to do so.

Coun Victoria Felton said she had asked for information on the incident and was also told an investigation had been launched.

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"We have spent all this money on the new market, we are trying to inform residents the town centre is a safe place and this is the sort of example being set," she said.

"He should have been suspended pending investigation."

Mr Knight has also fallen foul of the council’s policy on behaviour, officially called the ‘trader compliance procedure’ after being issued with a written warning over has conduct in dealing with wardens who issued a parking ticket to another trader’s vehicle and for leaving boxes where they were said to cause a obstruction.

His warning was issued, he said, without a hearing to provide an opportunity to explain himself and is now the subject of an appeal.

Mr Knight said he believed the circumstances surrounding the way the incident of December 18 was being handled, compared to his case, demonstrated different standards.

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"I wasn't even offered a hearing, it was escalated straight to a warning," he said.

Barnsley Council has confirmed to the NMTF Barnsley group that the matter is under investigation but the authority did not respond to a further request for comment.

The episode is the latest example of friction between the council, which opened the Glass Works market hall as a pivotal feature of a £180m town centre regeneration scheme, and traders.

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They were initially unhappy that trading hours were extended to match those of surrounding shops and various other disputes have emerged.

One which remains unresolved in a complaint that the council has cut rents by half for tenants upstairs, to take account of trading conditions.

That has angered some traders with stalls on the ground floor, who argue the cheap rents give colleagues upstairs an unfair advantage. The council has insisted the change was introduced following consultation but the dispute remains unresolved.

The council regards the market as a success, pointing to increased footfall figures as an indicator it is drawing in customers.