London - Stallholders in the English town of Hexham have been ordered to mute the cries they use to advertise their wares, sparking an outcry at the ending of an
800-year custom, British media reported Monday.

The local authority in the town with a population of around 11,000 issued the order silencing centuries of tradition in response to complaints from office workers who said they suffered from headaches as a result.

"It's ridiculous; Hexham's supposed to be a market town," Martin Foster, 29, who works on the fruit and vegetable stall, told the Daily Telegraph.

"We pay nearly 1,000 pounds (1,860 dollars) rent to have a stall here, and if we can't attract customers, particularly in winter, then I'm worried the stall might not survive."

Traders have been coming to a picturesque square near the town's 12th century abbey and yelling out the prices of their local products to shoppers since 1239.

Now Tynesdale District Council has ordered they can call out only on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and even then only if they "shout quietly."

A prominent English countryside magazine named Hexham England's favourite market town in 2005, and the National Farmers Union has judged the Hexham Farmers Market the best in the country.

Philippa Walker, 42, who runs the Walled Garden Wilderness flower stall, told the Telegraph: "The yells of the market have been part of life in Hexham for anyone who lives in the town and it's always been that way.

"The hustle and bustle of the market place is one of the reasons people visit the town, it's part of its charm," she added.

In response, Tynesdale head of waste and transport management Philip Hindmarsh said the yelling had got out of control.

"We talked to the traders about this on a number of occasions, before sending them a letter, which is not asking them to stop calling, but to reduce the volume and frequency," he said. (dpa)