‘Empty’ 768-yr-old market closes

COMIC Bobby Davro went on Good Morning Britain to promote a charity supporting veterans with alcohol problems and announced: “I’m still drunk from last night.”

Davro, 61, was on the ITV breakfast show with fellow comedian Jim Davidson, 65, and declared they had been drinking until 3am and had only had an hour’s sleep.

They were speaking to presenters Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid about Care after Combat, which supports armed forces veterans with alcohol and substance misuse problems.

After Davro announced at the beginning of the interview: “I’m still drunk from last night!” Piers replied, laughing: “You are. You’re struggling, aren’t you?”

Davro said: “I’m struggling, I have to be honest with you.”

Asked where he had been the night before, he pointed at Davidson and said: “I can’t remember. I was with him.”

Davidson said they had started at the Carlton Club, a London private members’ club which describes itself as “the original home of the Conservative Party”. He said it had been empty and was boarded up. He added: “We then ROCHDALE’S 768-year-old market is to close after town hall bosses deemed it “no longer financially viable”.

The outdoor market and the indoor food hall will cease trading from mid-October.

The market has been run by the council since September last year, when it severed ties with the specialist firm it appointed to oversee the operation.

The authority had previously taken back control of the market after its base at the

went on a hotel crawl.” Then, pointing a thumb in Davro’s direction, he added: “We ended up at his place.”

When Davro said he had been doing impressions of Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott, Susanna Reid interjected, saying they should “leave things there”.

But she went on to ask: “What time was your last drink?”

Davro began doing an odd impression before saying he thought he had his last drink at about 3am.

Susanna said: “OK, then, so you had a good five-and-a-half hours’ sleep then.” But later, Davro joked that he had only had an hour’s sleep.

Viewers were not amused by their behaviour and spoke out.

One said: “Jim Davidson and Bobby Davro on Good Morning Britain representing a charity that supports veterans with alcohol and substance misuse problems. They were both on the p*** last night...”

While another said: “Davro and Davidson turn up half drunk to advertise a Care after Combat charity for service men with drink and drug problems, really?!” Exchange Shopping Centre was sold in 2013. Bosses said the number of traders has halved over 12 months, leaving losses of between £3,000 and £4,000 per month.

There have been four days over the past year with no stallholders, they said.

But traders complained the new outdoor market was “not fit for purpose”, and many were also furious when Friday was axed as a trading day, and an artisan market was brought in once a month on a Saturday.