A monthly farmers’ market has shut down – just months after launching.

The Brighton Farmers’ Market on Old Steine held it final event last weekend, as dwindling numbers of customers made it unviable to continue.

The market was launched in April after Brighton and Hove City Council gave special permission for a pilot scheme on a disused path near the war memorial.

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Nick Mosley, organiser of the market, also blamed poor weather and the failure of some stall holders to turn up for the poor performance of the market.

He said: “For the first three or four markets we probably had up to 2,000 visitors each day.

“Later in the summer, we lost numbers down to weather and stallholders pulling out and not turning up.

“On some months we were competing with events such as People’s Day and the Brunswick Festival.

“I think the best we had was May and June with around 28 stalls. We only had a half dozen on Saturday this month but then again the weather was appalling.

“It doesn’t affect our overhead whether there are six stalls or 30 stalls, which is part of the problem of it not paying its way.

‘Not viable’ “Despite a huge amount of experience and effort from colleagues in the festival team, based on the consumer footfall and spending patterns we simply aren’t able to make the market financially viable for either stallholders or our own organisation.”

Stall holder Amber Aziz, who runs Cake Gusto supply artisan cakes and biscuits, said she had taken a stall at each market since the beginning.

She said: “I am thankful to all the people of Brighton and Hove who supported the market but I am disappointed it will no longer be running.”

Councillor Geoffrey Bowden, chairman of the council’s economic development and culture committee, said the growth of a rival market nearby offering more hot food had damaged trade at the market.

He said: “"I’m extremely disappointed to see this brilliant initiative end.

“The organiser of the Brighton and Hove Food Festival has put its heart and soul into making this work and I commend them for that.

“I’m passionate about increasing the availability of locally sourced foods and will continue to work with them to see whether anything can be rescued.

“However, if stall holders are not supporting the initiative, it is difficult to see what can be done to make it a long-term and viable success.”