Rising costs and new food regulations will cause a 30-year-old WI market to close.

Organisers of the weekly WI market in Bicester, which was renamed the Bicester Country Market nine months ago, say they will be forced to shut at the end of the year because they cannot afford to trade any longer.

The market, which is held every Friday in the Methodist Church Hall in Sheep Street and sells baked produce and crafts, will meet for the last time on Friday, December 23.

Market chairman Audrey Sapnik said: "Four of us need to take the food hygiene certificates in January, but we don't want to take the exams, we are too old, and with only two cooks the market is not viable.

"I have worked on the market 25 years and it's time I hung my wooden spoon up.

"There are so many regulations, and we have to pay rent and overheads.

"It's not as simple as just baking cakes. It's very sad but we have to call it a day.

"We will be missed as we are very much a part of Bicester, and as much a social gathering for some people as a place to buy lovely things."

Mary O'Connor, 66, who has worked on the market for 21 years and been market controller for eight years, said: "It's a real shame.

"We would have been running the market for 30 years in July, we had hoped to keep going until July but we just can't.

"We have to pay a lot of money -- hundreds of pounds to take food hygiene courses and then refresher courses after that and food regulations mean we have to put all sorts of labels on the produce.

"We have to do a lot of baking to recoup that money.

"Most of our producers are pensioners and they don't want the trouble of taking the exams.

"Some are just getting too old now to go on, and we are not getting any new younger members joining.

"It's very sad. A lot of our customers say they don't know what they will do.

"We are all very sad about it but we have to stop now before it becomes more trouble than it's worth."

Donald Robinson, 70, of St Edburgs Close, Bicester, a regular customer at the market, said: "As the town gets bigger the community dies.

"I'm very sad about it.

"There is nowhere else like it where you can get home-made, locally produced stuff."

There will be nibbles for customers to mark the market closing will be held during the market on Friday, December 16, between 8.30-11am.

The market will be held for the last time in the Methodist Hall on Friday, December 23.

WI markets around the county, including ones in Woodstock, Burford and Henley, have all closed in recent years.