Medway Council has the following markets: Gillingham, Kent-Monday and Saturday, Strood, Kent-Tuesday and Saturday, Rochester, Kent- Monthly Farmers Market every third Sunday of the month

Festivals within the borough of Medway are managed by Medway Councils Events team.

Other events such as boot fairs, community events and Artisan Markets are managed through private organisers outside of the Local Authority.

Here is the Council’s response to our Freedom of Information request:

Q: Do you allow stall holders at your markets to sell real fur? (including small items such as knitted hats with fur bobbles, or key rings with fur trims etc.

A: In terms of animal fur as decorative flourishes, Medway Council makes the traders comply with the Textile Products (labelling and fibre composition)Regulations 2016 to have the products appropriately labelled. If traders fail to do this then a trader can commit a criminal offence. This approach is further enforced by stating that the failure to disclose the presence of fur is a potential criminal offence under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.  Furthermore the approach is solely based on the application of the legislation covering the description of the product and not the morality of their placement in the market place.

The Council allows the sale of fur.

Real fur is cruel and unnecessary. Please urge the Council to ban the sale of real fur on their markets and adopt the official Fur Free Markets policy by contacting Cllr Mrs Jane Chitty, Portfolio Holder for Planning, Economic Growth and Regulation, email: jane.chitty@medway.gov.uk