MARKET businesses could be booted out of their council-owned shop units unless they start operating longer opening hours.

There have already been complaints that Dartmouth's Old Market sometimes looks as if it is not open for business because so many shops are closed for days at a time or because of extended holidays.

Now the town council is taking legal advice to see what action it can take against businesses which fail to live up to the terms of their leases when it comes to opening hours.

One option could be to refuse to renew their leases when many come up for renewal next year.

To read more on this story, see this week's Chronicle