AN antiques fair could be the latest weapon in the campaign to breathe new life into the centre of Abingdon.

Campaigner Steve King - who runs the online forum action4abingdon.org - has suggested hosting a fair in the Market Place each Friday to the town council.

He wants a similar market to the weekly Gloucester Green Antiques Fair, held on Thursdays in Oxford.

Mr King, a private landlord who used to own Abingdon Motorcycles, has approached the market's organiser, Eddie Grandy, who has agreed to run the fair.

Mr King, 58, said: "Gloucester Green has 70 stallholders and the organiser says there's no reason why he couldn't get at least half that number.

"It should be well supported and well attended and I think it will be another thing that will drag people into Abingdon.

"We used to have all sorts of things, like an antiques fair, but everything seems to disappear. Anything that can attract people into the town must be a good thing, now we just need to get the town council's go-ahead for it."

Abingdon's monthly antiques fair, at Fitzharry's School, closed last November, after more than three decades.

Stuart Bates, president of the chamber of commerce, said: "We have got the facilities to hold these events and we do need to attract more people in to encourage people to shop in Abingdon and make it a more attractive place."

Marianne Milburn, the town council's Market Place co-ordinator, said that the proposal would be discussed by members at a council meeting in the next couple of weeks.