Business is booming in North Paddington

Shoppers can pick up a range of goods from fresh flowers to a hog roast, and from organic salads and fresh fruit to jewellery and bags, since the market officially opened last month.

Permission was given for the market's opening hours to be extended by Westminster Council's planning committee last night.

Traders could now open their stalls from 10am to 8pm, Mondays to Fridays, and from 9am to 8pm on Saturdays.

Market traders, including Gillian Clarke who runs Maida Hill Flowers, were enthusiastic about the news.

She said: "It's great the way people here have embraced the market and we've seen loads of people coming here every day.

"When you set off on a new venture, you can never know that it's definitely going to work, but after just one month our stalls are proving extremely popular and I already feel that I have a series of regulars who enjoy shopping here."

Julie Bundy, of the Harrow Road Neighbourhood Partnership, added: "The market is helping to breathe new life into the area and we're very excited now about the future.

"We're confident it will continue to grow and prosper and become increasingly popular in the months and years ahead."

The former crime hotspot at the junction has been transformed by a Westminster Council regeneration project, including new paving, lighting, trees and seating areas, as well as increased police patrols and extra CCTV to deter troublemakers.