COUNCIL chiefs axed a town’s German Christmas market after bad weather and rail ­strikes — and readers have been reacting to the news.

The decision by Blackburn with Darwen Council to drop the traditional German event from its Christmas programme was revealed by the Lancashire Telegraph on Monday.

Appalling weather and a series of rail strikes affected the success of the market but many readers have said it was just not good enough. The market was held across 25 days in Blackburn on its new Cathedral Square last December.

The market, with 26 specially-imported chalets and children’s fairground attractions, was hit by heavy rainstorms and high winds as well as a series of rail strikes on the Northern network.

The news sparked a huge response on the Telegraph’s website and social media pages.

Chantelle Chapman wrote: “Never known a Christmas market to be so empty. The stalls were not satisfying at all and did not seem very Christmassy at all. Good to try but I wouldn’t go again anyway.”

Garry Coulthard agreed, saying: “The Xmas markets were terrible. An awful selection of goods, poorly located with rubbish children’s rides. They should have been near the existing markets to allow crossover trade.”

But the council did get the support of one reader called ‘scruff1972’.

They said: “I think the location was spot on for people coming off the train from neighbouring towns but it was the train strikes that spoiled that.

“I’d say keep some (chalets) there and others around the market, look at Manchester they have them dotted around. To give up after a year, where’s the determination in that to make it work?”