A "disrespected" Scouse street trader has been told she can either pay £6,000 to continue trading in her usual pitch during the Eurovision Song Contest - or clear off.
Patsy Murphy, 64 and her niece Rebecca Molloy have run The Deli food stall at Liverpool's Pier Head since 2010. Patsy said they were invited to set the stall up there by the council at the time to offer affordable food to tourists and locals enjoying the waterfront.
But a few weeks ago, they were sent a letter by the city council which said that if they wish to continue trading in their usual pitch for the nine days leading up to the final of the Eurovision Song Contest, then they will be charged £6,000 to do so.
READ MORE: Passengers hurt after BMW crashes into Stagecoach bus
This is because their pitch falls within what will be the Eurovision Village and the council has temporarily suspended all existing street trading licenses in the area. Traders can reapply, but at a cost of £6,000.
Patsy, whose mother and grandmother were both street traders in Liverpool, says she was not consulted on the move and will refuse to pay the costs because she would have to pass it on to her customers.
She told the ECHO: "I am a third generation street trader, my grandma is pictured in the museum in of Liverpool in an area about the history of street trading in the city. My mum was a fruit seller who fought for the right for traders to have street licenses."
"Street trading is in my blood, we grew up in the city centre and we used to help my mum push her barrow to and from the Pier Head.
"I had my mum's stall but when she died I changed to a hot and cold food stall. In 2010 as the Pier Head was redeveloped the council invited us down as they wanted traders there who would offer affordable food. It was a risk for us because it's so seasonal but we decided to do it and generally it has worked out.
"In that time we have worked during lots of major events and have traded normally alongside concession stalls that have come in specifically for those events. We've never had any issues."
Speaking about the required costs, she added: "Morally I would never do that. It would mean having to hike our prices up by three times and I can't do that to families in Liverpool who are already struggling. We are supposed to be there to provide affordable food. I would rather have no money than do that, I'm not ripping people off.
"If we did that and raised our prices, what would happen when all the temporary food stalls have left after Eurovision? We would be left with customers who were rightfully angry because we had overcharged them. They are also planning to charge us for other events like the Battle of Britain commemorations at the end of May.
"This means that May, usually one of our most profitable months will now mean hardly any income at all.
"We just feel as though we have been shown no respect at all by the council. We come from a proud family of street traders and we weren't even consulted about this. They want us to just go away for two weeks so they can make as much money as possible and then come back and pick up the crumbs.
"I don't know who is making these decisions, but if I was them I would be struggling to sleep at night. Shame on them."
A spokesperson for Liverpool City Council said: “The Eurovision Village is expecting over 15,000 people every day and to maximise public safety for all, it has been necessary to temporarily suspend the permits for existing traders on the Pier Head.
“In recognition of this disruption we have invited the affected street traders to apply to be a part of the Village. The pitch fees are in line with an event of this scale. There are also additional requirements vendors need to meet, such as the sustainability policies of Eurovision and, for security reasons, to be cashless.
“By choosing not to trade within the Eurovision Village the traders have the option of being relocated to another site without any additional fee.”
READ MORE:
Schoolgirl, 12, arrested after 'despicable' attack filmed
Passengers hurt after BMW crashes into Stagecoach bus
I visited Liverpool's 'best car boot' and this is what I found
