This is no way to treat our market

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 29th Jun 2009

Portobello Market grocery market

Last year, the Council spent £728,000 to pay Portobello market traders for a supposed 'mistake' in their waste charges. Carol Caruana, the Lib Dem FOCUS team candidate in the 22nd July Colville ward by-election said: "A study was carried out and it turned out that the market stall holders were being charged hundreds of thousands of pounds for collection of waste that had nothing to do with them.

"The Council policy on waste was damaging the livelihoods of the market stall holders. They decided to pay up, and hoped they could sweep the problem away.

"But instead of protesting about the system of waste charges, the Labour group claimed credit for negotiating the unusual payment!

"It's ridiculous that Labour just rolled over and accepted the Council explanation. They should have been leading the fight on behalf of the market. Instead - silence."

Now there's a by-election in Portobello and Labour have suddenly remembered about the over-charging and say they will lobby the Council. "Too little, too late," says Carol." "Residents are not stupid. They remember it was the Lib Dems who raised this issue publicly, not Labour. Labour fell hook line and sinker for the Conservative Council line and remained silent. Stall-holders say the Council still overcharges the market each week. If elected, I will fight to get them a fair deal."