Traders today pledged that Shipley Indoor Market hall would stay open - no matter who ran it.

Their vow came as Bradford Council looked set to hand over responsibility for the market hall to the landlord London & Associated Properties.

The market lease runs out in September but the Council and the company have reached a deadlock about rent and service charge increases.

And on Tuesday the Council's executive will be asked to support the issuing of a new licence to the company to run the market and to support the option of helping tenants who want to stay with the Council move to suitable units elsewhere in the area.

David Burke, spokesman for the Shipley branch of the National Indoor Market Traders Federation, said: "The market will stay open. The Council has let it get to this state of affairs, which is appalling. We are within months of the lease coming to an end.

"London & Associated Properties is putting together a management structure for the market and has confirmed to us they will continue to run the facility."

He added: "Relocating is a hard decision for anyone to make without the full details of where in the area this would be."

Members will be told that the terms put forward by the London-based company would mean a hike in payments for tenants.

But James Charlton, property manager for London & Associated Properties, said: "There is no relationship between the rent the Council pays ourselves, as head landlord, and the rent charged to market stall holders.

"The stall holders are paying the same rent they would pay to any landlord, whether this is the Council or not. Our primary aim is that the market is 100 per cent let. If rents are made unaffordable the market would become empty.

"We have had a meeting with the tenants and there is no indication that they wish to retain the Council as the landlord.

Shipley town centre manager Bob Parker said: "I hope London & Associated Properties will continue to lease it in the same vein or improve it.

"As a venue it has lacked investment over the last 40 years and it needs some money spending on it."

Councillor Simon Cooke, executive member for corporate and regeneration, said: "It is very disappointing that the landlord is not prepared to offer viable terms which would keep the market under Council control."