A former civil servant has pledged to revive Streatham and get people shopping locally by launching a weekly farmer’s market.

Richard Laidlaw, 47, of Greenock Road, decided to set up the market after witnessing the decline of small businesses in Streatham High Road.

Mr Laidlaw, who grew up in Streatham, believes there needs to be more support for local trade, particularly independent businesses, and a reduction in the numbers of empty shops.

He will be setting up stalls at Granton Road Primary school this Saturday, following a community petition to support the market, which received hundreds of signatures.

He said: “There is not enough variety on the High Road. There just seems to be a lot of the same. It is still very much like a drive through. [When I was growing up] it was very different. It was much busier in terms of trading. It’s gone downhill since then.

“[Changing that] is something very important to me.”