VINTAGE fashion seekers already know that the East End is a great place to head for second hand clothes. Shops along Brick Lane and nearby Cheshire Street selling retro clothing have sprung up over the last few years and traders at Brick Lane and Spitalfi

VINTAGE fashion seekers already know that the East End is a great place to head for second hand clothes.

Shops along Brick Lane and nearby Cheshire Street selling retro clothing have sprung up over the last few years and traders at Brick Lane and Spitalfields Markets sell vintage garments.

Now Tower Hamlets council wants its ailing Petticoat lane Market to get in on the action and is calling on retro clothing traders to apply for pitches at a new vintage section of the market to run on Mondays and Fridays.

The council's senior market officer Paul Morris said: "Vintage markets like the one at Brick Lane are really popular.

"We decided to start one up in Petticoat Lane on Mondays and Friday so as not to compete with Brick Lane's Sunday market and the Thursday antiques markets at Spitalfields.

"We're hoping to attract lots of new traders to Petticoat Lane."

The vintage market is part of the council's dynamic Street Market Strategy which it hopes will boost business at Petticoat Lane.

The strategy was approved by the council in February and aims to bring in new traders and increase the variety of goods on sale.

It focuses on improving marketing, publicity, waste management, cleanliness and public toilets.

Interested traders can contact the council's Markets Services Team on 020 7364 1717 or streetmarkets@towerhamlets.gov.uk