Market Square in Wantage could lose its market after traders vowed to fight new parking charges.

Traders say they cannot afford a new £40 charge levied by the town council to park vans by their stalls.

The council say the vans are an eyesore and deny shoppers parking spaces.

Now traders are warning they may move to other markets if they lose the fight.

Graham Smith, who runs a clothes stall, said: "We can't work without our van. We need it for people to try on clothes in.

"Stalls sometimes blow over without a van to protect them from the wind.

"We simply can't afford £40 every day. Market traders work on tight margins and we'd have to move elsewhere. We've offered the council £10, but we won't pay £40."

Traders fear the parking fee could kill off the market, which is already in decline. Michael Smith, whose family has a fruit and veg stall, said: "On Saturday there's only half the market now."

But Wantage mayor Peter Kent said traders would benefit if the vans were removed.

He said: "The vans look untidy and if there's going to be half a market we think it'd be better for the shops as well as the traders, because the free spaces would be used by shoppers rather than traders' vans.

"It says in their contract they shouldn't park in the square anyway, and we've negotiated a low price for their vans to park in Limborough Road."