Stallholders at Ashby Market have made a plea for more visitors - as they fear some local people do not know it exists.

The indoor market at Ashby Town Hall has been a fixture for decades.

It is place where you can buy a wide range of gifts, essential items and things you simply would not find anywhere else.

But the people who run the stalls on a day to day basis say that footfall is decreasing all the time.

Some of them have been there for more than 30 years and noticed the amount of customers is dropping.

Lynda Lynham (left) and Pat Wheeldon have each spent more than three decades on the market

Even the pre-Christmas rush did not attract the crowds that it used to.

But now the stallholders say it is time to make people aware of what is on offer in the market.

They say visitors from out of town are always impressed by what they consider to be a unique feature to Ashby.

But, quite often, they will speak to local residents who never realised it was there.

One of the stallholders, Pat Wheeldon, even has a little bit of celebrity to her name.

She is a former Miss Britain who has held 93 different titles - including Miss Derby County at one point - and rubbed shoulders with the ex-Mr Universe, turned film star, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The entrance is on Market Street, but visitor numbers have steadily dwindled

Pat can show you the photo of herself and Arnie as proof.

But it is the future of the market she is worried about - and says that once you have paid a visit 'you'll be back'. 

Pat, who runs a beauty products stall, said: "I've been on the market for 33 years, but there was a time when I had people queuing around the corner to be served.

"But this year, it was like a normal week. It's a Saturday now and it's still quiet.

"I know people are shopping at the sales, but some of my prices are sale prices or less.

Pat's photo or herself as Miss Britain and Arnold Schwarzenegger from 1970

"You can come in here and get a bit of a bargain. I have 1,000 different fragrances here, I specialise in hard to find ones and some of them are £10-15 below what you'd expect."

Pat says there are a number of stallholders who run more than one stall.

Linda Lynham, who sells hardware and underwear, says there are around 16 stalls in all.

Pat added: "Ashby's advertised as a market town, but there's no promotion for us.

"There's been a steady decline of people coming in, but those visiting from outside of Ashby rave about it, they love it because their town hasn't got anything the same as this."

Linda added: "Some people don't even know we're here. A woman came in a few weeks ago and said she didn't know the market was there, but then said she'd lived here all her life."

The stallholders say they would encourage people to come and pay a visit.

Linda added: "One of the main reasons is that the banks have gone. That means people aren't coming in to the town like they used to.

"If you want things to stay, they need to use it.

"There's not a lot of internet in here at the moment which means card payments are difficult."

Ashby de la Zouch Town Centre manager, Stuart Benson, says he is keen to do more to showcase the market.

He said: "The Market has been a fantastic starting point for so many businesses over the years, including my own business originally trading in the market before moving to a premises albeit under the previous owner.

"With more recent shops being Cherizena, No.3 Witchy's Place and ShoeBox to name a few.

"Shopping habits are changing and I'm sorry to hear about the decline in footfall, but it's happening to all businesses who need to adapt or diversify to make sure they stay relevant.

"The Ashby BID is looking to run a Love Ashby promotion from February 1-14 to try to get people to shop local, and will happily go to speak to the market traders to see if there are any ways we can promote them.

"The traders would benefit from having not only their own social media platforms to let the local communities know what they sell, but also a Ashby Market dedicated page which there used to be.

"There are many good examples of similar shopping arcades that work well, but this would mean putting considerable investment into the building.

"Once the Tourist Information Centre has undergone renovation work, there will be opportunity for promotion on the display boards and digital screen."