Councillor Peter Weir has expressed his “complete disbelief” that Bangor Market may not take place on Christmas Eve this year.

The market runs every Wednesday just off Market Street in Bangor. But because Christmas Eve falls on a Wednesday the council said there was a possibility that the market may not take place because it is a public holiday.

Mr Weir said Bangor Market was part of the life blood of the Bangor community and had been at the centre of Bangor town centre trading activity for many years.

“It (the market) would add to the festive spirit on Christmas Eve, allowing the people to get their last minute fresh produce for Christmas and would bring extra people into Bangor town centre on Christmas Eve, boosting the spending in other retail outlets in the town centre,” Mr Weir said.

A meeting of the local Market Committee, whose members include councillors, market traders and other interested parties, is to take place on November 24 to decide on what course of action to take.

Their decision will then be submitted to the Environmental and Amenities Committee at North Down Borough Council who will meet on December 2 to ratify that decision.

If a decision is taken not to hold the market on that day, then the last market before Christmas will take place on December 17. The market has never taken place on a public holiday.

An official statement from the council said it did not intend to hold a market on Christmas Eve but that it was organising a Christmas Market on December 17 at which “we will provide shortbread and wine for shoppers, run a ballot in aid of the Mayor's charities and organise musical entertainment”.

“This event has been publicised across North Down and Ards and will, we hope, attract a number of shoppers to Bangor Market in the run up to Christmas,” the statement added.

However, Mayor of North Down Leslie Cree said no decision had been taken and that local people would “regret it” if the market wasn’t open. “It is extremely popular with local people,” he said.