Market temporarily shut due to pest problem

A city centre market has been temporarily shut so "urgent action to protect public health" can be taken to tackle a pest problem, a council has said.

Moor Market was closed immediately on Friday and a deep clean is under way after the issue was discovered in parts of the site, Sheffield City Council said.

Richard Eyre, director of street scene and regulations, said closing the whole market was a "precautionary but a necessary step" and would stop the "issue from spreading further".

A reopening date has not yet been confirmed but the authority said it was working "at pace to resolve the issue".

Eyre said the closure would enable "a full and coordinated programme of treatment and deep cleaning to be carried out across all units, communal areas and supporting spaces such as storage".

He added: "Acting quickly is particularly important given the current period of extreme heat due to unprecedented weather, which creates conditions where pests can spread more rapidly.

"Taking decisive action now is the most effective way to contain the issue and protect both businesses and the public."

Eyre said it was recognised the closure would have a "significant impact on traders".

"We would like to thank them for their cooperation so far and their support in carrying out deep cleaning work, which is essential to enabling the market to reopen safely," he added.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.