THERE was quite a fuss when the council announced plans to bring a genuine French market to town as part of their effort to make the centre of Blackburn a more attractive place.

Stallholders from Blackburn's three and five day markets complained angrily about foreigners being given free stalls at a prime location in newly pedestrianised Church Street.

They had paid rent loyally for years but would be out of sight and therefore unable to take advantage of the boost in business that should come from casual customers who popped into town to see the new venture, or so the argument went.

In fact, so incensed were the Blackburn traders that they vowed to set up their own stalls in opposition to "the invaders" on the other side of Ainsworth Street.

The result yesterday, as any shopper would have seen, was a sunny day and lots of people doing business both at stalls flying the French and British flags.

Market Tenants' Association chairman Raymond Goldstone described the scene as "a bit like Agincourt" and still maintains that the newcomers should have been inside the covered market because, if they had not set up outside, visitors would have just walked past the French stalls and gone home.

But French market organiser Martine De Camys, who lives in England, said such protests were nothing new.

"I hope it will bring new clients to Blackburn and in the past when there has been controversy, there has actually been a boost to their sales. It is not just for us, it is for them as well."

And that certainly looked like the result of the experiment.

More general trade for both regular stallholders and the incomers - and an awful lot of households in the borough with kitchens that now contain garlic, pate, wine, French cheeses or croissants.

Bon appetit!