Antiques traders evicted to make way for US store

TRADERS at London's oldest antiques market are facing eviction so the site can be turned into a giant fashion store.

Experts said the disappearance of celebrity favourite Antiquarius in the King's Road will be a huge loss to the capital's antiques scene.

Nearly 50 small businesses, some of which have traded at the Chelsea venue since it first opened more than 40 years ago, will be destroyed.

Sir Mick Jagger bought clothes there in the Sixties and visited to do his Christmas shopping last month. A host of other stars, including Sir Elton John, Bob Geldof and Barbra Streisand are also regulars.

But developer London & Associated Properties, which bought the grade-II listed building in 2006, told local residents it would lease the prime site to an American clothing chain to create fashion store Anthropologie.

At a meeting last week London & Associated Properties said it hoped work to convert the late Victorian building into one store would begin "in early summer". Anthropologie, which is affiliated to fashion chain Urban Outfitters, would begin trading "by Christmas".

The developer failed to invite traders to the event but some heard about it from local residents and attended.

The company said one-month eviction notices would be handed out shortly.

Half the site has already been cleared. Last February, the traders were moved into smaller stores in the remaining space and were led to believe they could remain there.

Sue Norman, 55, who runs a blue-and-white china stall, said: "The landlord has treated us appallingly and kept us in the dark about what's going on. It looks like I'm going to lose my livelihood with very little notice, but they haven't had the decency to tell us officially."

Another trader, 50-year-old Alexandra Bolla, said: "We haven't been offered alternative premises, Antiquarius is a piece of London history that's going to be destroyed."

Emmanuel Kra, 32, who sells jewellery, said: "They are turning it into just another high street. King's Road used to be famous for its boutiques.

"I've only been running my own store for three years and I can't afford to set up my own premises. I don't know what I'm going to do."

Mariad McClean, 70, who has traded at Antiquarius since it opened, said: "The landlord has no compassion or respect for heritage."

The move is the latest blow to the capital's reputation as a centre for antiques by the same developer.

London & Associated Properties ejected some 40 traders from the mall in Camden Passage, Islington, last year despite a petition by customers to Downing Street and again turned the grade-II listed former tram shed into a department store.

Sarah Percy-Davis of LAPADA, the association of art and antiques dealers, said: "We are extremely sorry that this historic antique centre, which has been such an important part of the antique trade, may no longer exist.

"We have fought to maintain the building as an antiques market and are saddened that the traders have been treated so badly by the current landlords."

London & Associated Properties refused to comment.