TAVISTOCK'S Pannier Market has broken tradition this week and opened its doors to the public on Mondays, for a trial period over the summer.

Following a decision by the town council's properties committee, the market will now be open for six days a week until September 26, in the hope that it will bring more people into the town on Mondays.

Deputy market reeve Dwayne Carruthers said that apart from the odd Monday around Christmas times, the market had not been open on a Monday for several hundred years.

He said: 'This is an exciting opportunity for the market. We have 12 new traders in on Mondays. This has given us a good opportunity to get new traders in.'

The mayor of Tavistock, Cllr David Whitcomb, cut the ribbon to officially open the Monday market.

He said: 'This is exciting for the town. Hopefully it will increase the population of shoppers on a Monday.

'Between the traders and the retailers we hope the town will become a much busier place.'