Villagers have complained that hordes of Christmas shoppers are making their lives a misery.
Over the past month tens of thousands of shoppers have descended on Bovingdon Market seeking festive bargains, leaving local “imprisoned” in their homes by huge queues of traffic.
Residents have reported three-mile tailbacks, cars parked on every verge, cancelled buses and increasing litter.
For the past 40 years a market has been held every Saturday and bank holiday selling clothes, food, carpets, toiletries, computer goods, and tools on a disused airfield in Bovingdon, Herts.
Residents of the village – population 4,600 – say levels of traffic and queues are acceptable most of the year.
But the Christmas rush – with shoppers travelling from as far away as Southampton and Norwich – has caused huge problems.
Villager Gary Cullum, 60, said: “The last four weekends have been absolutely berserk. People living in the west side of the village feel they are imprisoned in their homes on a Saturday.
“They are being forced to plan their weekend itinerary around the market by getting out early or putting things off until Sunday.”
Plumber Andrew Perry, 48, said the traffic jams meant he lost £600 of work.
He added: “The other Saturday it took me one and a half hours to drive along a road that normally takes 10 minutes at most. I can’t get out to buy materials or even reach my clients’ homes.”
Some visitors to the 400-stall market, which organisers say is the largest of its kind in the UK, have reported being trapped in the car park for three hours.
Dacorum borough council said it had worked with police and highways teams to “address residents’ concerns”.
Police and the council have issued a “breach of condition notice” to the operators Wendy Fair, but this will not take effect until January.
Wendy Fair blamed the Christmas rush for the situation.
Spokeswoman Tessa Darby said: “We can’t control the traffic in the road.
“Most of the year the traffic flows well, but there is increased traffic at every retail area at this time of year, so journey times are increased. We are not stopping residents from going out.”
