BARGAIN hunters were able to visit car boot sales throughout Wiltshire on Sunday after lockdown restrictions on outside events were eased by the government.

The car boot sale at Ashton Common in Trowbridge was one of the first to reopen at 5.30am on Sunday.

Laura Laturner, who organises the sales with her business partner Peter Townsend, said: "We had some very positive comments. We had a lot of people who had been waiting for us to reopen again."

The organisers have improved the entrance to the site at Stoney Gutter on the Ashton Road just off the A350 to make it easier for vehicles to enter and leave.

The Ashton Common Car Boot Sale has been running since 2004. Since opening it has raised over £80,000 for Cancer Research UK and has been recognised by the charity for its fundraising efforts.

The Innox Mills Sunday market in Trowbridge also reopened on Sunday from 9am to 3pm offering a mix of artisan products, street food, local produce and vintage clothing.

Jonathan Dean, director of Innox Mills, said: “It was amazing. Everyone was excited to be out again.

"We had track and trace available and everyone was expected to wear face masks."

In 2020, the market regularly drew around 3,000 visitors from the town and further afield.

The Sunday Market is organised by Mr Dean in partnership with The Anonymous Travelling Market of Salisbury.

It is being held in the historic buildings at Innox Mills, where visitors will be entertained by live music while they browse the stalls.

Mr Dean said the December Christmas Market will come back, along with a beer festival, the Fast and Foodies event, and an outdoor cinema and a beach bar in the summer.

He is planning to reopen the path from the railway station to the Grade 2-listed Innox Mills buildings.

These include the former dye house, brewery and cloth factory along the riverside, which date back to the 19th Century.

Social distancing measures will be in place to protect visitors and stallholders, including a one-way system.