THOUSANDS of bargain hunters are getting ready to haggle and get their hands on rare items as boot sales and markets across south Essex open for the season.

The area is spoilt for choice, with thousands of sellers turning out every weekend to show off their wares at sites such as the Dunton boot sale, which has been established since 1993, is already open on Sundays and will open on Wednesdays from this week.

But there is now even more choice as boot sale organisers Lazy Bones UK Limited, which run a popular Sunday boot sale in Leigh, yesterday launched a new Sunday market site in Sandon, near Chelmsford.

Father and son Lloyd and Terry Dowle, who run the market as part of their family business, believe the key to their success is offering visitors something a little different, and opening later in the day, meaning you don’t have to get out of bed too early on a Sunday morning in order to get a bargain - unlike many other boot sales like Dunton which opens at 5.30am on Sundays.

Mr Dowle, 42, who was “born and bred in Southend”, said: “We have been inundated with traders booking up stalls and we had around 80 for the opening. It takes time to build but the most important thing is it looks amazing.

“My dad was a market trader when I was growing up and he used to travel around the country. When I was a kid I used to help him out and I do it with him now because I love him and it is lots of fun.

“You can find absolutely everything at the market from butchers and fruit and vegetables to mobile license plate makers and all the fashion stalls.”

It takes up four acres and 1,000 parking spaces of the 11.5 acre car park of the Sandon Park and Ride service, which does not operate on Sundays.

The organisers expect it will be the biggest of its kind in Essex and have plans to keep expanding in the future, as well as continuing to support local traders.

Mr Dowle said: “We want to get this one off the ground and then think about other opportunities.

“There are not a lot of markets like this one around, especially as our market doesn’t start until 10am.

“We charge cheap rent for traders as we want them to be able to make a living; we have been there so we understand how it is.”

The Mayor of Chelmsford Patricia Hughes was on hand to launch the market, which was hailed as a “great success”, with lots of visitors flocking to the site to see what was on offer.

Mr Dowell added: “It was a fantastic day and good fun was had by everyone involved.

“We had so many people thanking us for organising this kind of event here because they normally have to go further afield so that was encouraging.

“We got lucky with the weather and, as obviously the London Marathon was held on the same day, a lot of people might have been away so it can only get better.”

Other markets in south Essex include Lazybones in Rettendon, which is open every Saturday and Sunday across 30 acres of land at Whitehouse Farm, the Sadlers Hall Roundabout boot sale which boasts 400 pitches and the Nevendon boot sale on Stevenson’s Farm, which has run every Sunday and bank holiday since 1990.

For more on the market, visit lazybonesuk.co.uk