Newton Abbot's market traders have added their voices to the call to keep independent business the main feature of the town's identity.

Last month, a retail study commissioned by Teignbridge Council suggested doing away with the cattle market and building new shops and homes.

It said the pannier market could become an evening entertainment venue and that parts of Market Walk should be demolished.

The Newton Abbot Community Interest Company has already expressed its fears.

It said the future should lie in capitalising on the livestock market, making it the centre of a unique regional centre that married town and country.

Vice-chairman Anthony Rew, also chairman of the south west National Farmers' Union, said: 'We've got the opportunity to do something special in Newton Abbot with a centre that would offer a market, agricultural business, food hall and a restaurant which served local produce, it would reconnect people with food production.'

Now Ron Southcombe, spokesman for the pannier market traders, is worried he and his outdoor colleagues will be forced out.

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