A POPULAR market trader who had worked in the market hall since it opened 40 years ago has died following a short illness.

Stuart Jones, 64, ran a fruit and veg stall called Superfruits until he retired in 2015. He died last Sunday.

He was helped over the years by his family and friends, with his wife Marie and children Ben, Lucy and Sam playing a large part in keeping the stall going.

Stuart’s wife of 35 years, Marie, who lives in Darton, said: “We had a lovely stall. Stuart was a real stickler for everything being right. He didn’t just throw things on, everything had to be put on perfectly and all his tickets had to be right.

“We used to get people walking past and taking photos, everyone admired it.

“It was hard work but we did it right.”