MARKET traders could be spread out across the city during a revamp of their Worcester home after the council threw them a lifeline.

Traders have been given fresh hope by Worcester City Council after it was feared they could lose out on 13 weeks of business during a revamp of their Angel Place home due to start next month.

A spokesman for Worcester City Council said: “We are working with the traders and we think we have found a way of temporarily accommodating them across a number of spots in the city centre. We are finalising arrangements and hope to announce details in the next few days.”

The move was welcomed by Duncan Squires of Angel Flowers, one of 16 stall-holders based at Angel Place, who said: "We have had ongoing talks with the council in a much more positive light than seven days ago. They're talking about locating us in different areas in the interim period. The situation has changed dramatically and there are positive ongoing talks. Everybody seems quite happy at the moment."

However, other traders have expressed a wish that the stall-holders are kept together in one place during the work.

The market is being overhauled in a £550,000 regeneration scheme which is due to start on September 9 and last for 13 weeks. But market traders expressed concern when the city council said they had not been able to find stall-holders anywhere to stay. They then appeared to U-turn just a day after their shock announcement and said they would try and find them somewhere after all.