BLACKBURN’S new market will be ‘unlike any other in the country’, proud bosses have boasted.

The new market will open its doors on Wednesday with town centre bosses promising a major boost to the local economy.

Three quarters of the 127 stalls have now been let and around half will be filled on the opening day.

Market manager Keith Holden said shoppers will be amazed when they saw what was on offer.

He said: “This market will put Blackburn on the map. The food offering is going to be fantastic, with exclusive commodities, a large food hall and I know people are going to come from far away to see what we have here.

“We are not going to be as full as we wanted but I am sure that will change in the coming months.”

Mr Holden said the new market would have a range of quality food stalls which would attract people in from further afield.

Blackburn with Darwen Council director Andrew Lightfoot said: “The new market is going to be fantastic. There has been nothing like it in the UK in recent years.”

The last Saturday trading day on the old three day market is today and traders said there was a lot of excitement ahead of the move.

It was originally set to open today but traders asked for it to be put back to Wednesday to get the bank holiday out of the way.

Traders rep Andrew Hartley, from the Octagon card shop, said: “Traders felt the long weekend as a result of the bank holiday was a good opportunity to ensure that everything was in place, stocked up and ready for the opening.

“It has been a long time coming and it wasn’t worth rushing everything at the end. It is better that it is done in the right way and the new market is going to be amazing.”

A large plan of the market has been produced to help shoppers navigate the new facility.

It will be home to 10 serviced food stalls, eight cafes, seven mini-shops, 44 non-food stalls and 20 food stalls.