St Ann Corporation gets tough on delinquent vendors, several locked out of markets

Several vendors at the Brown's Town and Ocho Rios markets in St Ann were locked out and issued with notices to quit after they were found operating without valid permits.

Mayor of St Ann's Bay Michael Belnavis says six vendors at the Ocho Rios market were issued with notices to quit and were denied permission to continue to operate after they were found operating without a permit.

Mayor Belnavis, who was speaking at the St Ann Municipal Corporation's monthly sitting last Thursday, said the vendors will be allowed back into the market after they take the necessary steps to become compliant.

Over at the Brown's Town market, he says a number of vendors were found to be operating without valid food handlers' permits.

The mayor says they were denied entry to the market and given one week to become compliant.

Meanwhile, Mayor Belnavis says the section of the market that was destroyed by fire last May has been restored and is now operational.

He says 25 stalls were destroyed during the fire and efforts to put out the blaze.