Illegal Nine Elms market becomes source of tension between rival vendors
By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter
Videos shot by a concerned resident have shown angry traders shoving and shouting at each other in tense stand-offs at an illegal market in a South London square.
In one clip, a shirtless man bangs a nearby wall furiously with his fist before gesticulating at another seller. In other footage, a man squabbles with a seller, before chasing after another man.
The street traders have been setting up shop each Sunday in a square near Nine Elms Underground station for the past few months, according to people who live locally.
The vendors are apparently attracted to the area in the hope of luring in visitors from the nearby weekly Nine Elms Sunday Market, also known as Vauxhall Market.
Residents say the traders lay out their goods on concrete blocks in the square, which they have repurposed as makeshift stalls. One resident said they had even seen nearby bike racks used as rails for clothes.
One said: “There are smashed bottles, fighting. They use the blocks to sell and bargain and fight with each other for who is selling what and who is getting the best spot.
“A lot of them are hammered by 10 in the morning. They sell all sorts: pairs of trainers, T-shirts, kids’ toys. We have got people selling illegal cigarettes and Airpods.”
Jason Yang, another local, said there had been some low-level nuisance linked to the makeshift market. The 30-year-old said: “I think there have been quite a few disturbances: people yelling mostly.
“There has been more commotion and rubbish. They were hanging clothes on the bike racks and they will lay stuff on blankets on the floor and on the blocks.”
James Rutherford, 43, who also lives nearby, added: “They were fighting the other week and I saw it from my kitchen. I think they are arguing about the blocks [where they display goods].”
A Lambeth Council spokesman said: “These are concerning scenes and we ask that if residents witness incidents of crime they call 999 in an emergency.
“Our public protection wardens are tasked with patrolling the borough to help keep people safe and provide police statements where needed. We deployed them to this location in July and August in response to the concerns raised, and have further monitoring and visits planned.
“Individuals at the location were informed that they did not have a license to trade – and were instructed to stop trading and remove the items. Tougher action will take place if there is a recurrence.”
Pictured top: Traders squaring off (Picture: LDRS/supplied image)