A GROUP of independent traders in Minehead have joined forces to launch their own late-night shopping event and are hoping the initiative will spread to other parts of the town.

Friday Street Fridays will launch on December 12, with at least 17 small businesses in Friday Street opening their doors until 7pm.

A second late-night event will take place in the street on December 19 and, if successful, could then take place once a month into the new year.

Phil Taphouse, chairman of the Exmoor Producers' Association which has a shop at 11 Friday Street, said traders were bitterly disappointed that there were no plans for a Minehead-wide Christmas late night shopping event this year.

But, instead, the traders have taken matters into their own hands and launched a double late-night extravaganza.

"The Friday Street Fridays initiative is very much intended to make Friday Street a shopping destination," Mr Taphouse said.

"The lack of a late-night event with the Christmas lights festival made it much more important.

"Several traders had already identified the need for shops to be open later, particularly in the run up to Christmas," he said.

The idea was formally agreed at a recent business breakfast meeting attended by representatives from the many stores and firms in Friday Street.

The breakfast was organised by Martin Spink from the Christian bookshop Under the Rainbow and Lesley Culverhouse from the Reading Room.

The aim was to allow new traders to meet existing businessmen and women and to hear from guest speakers Mr Taphouse, vision manager Steven Hooper and Minehead Chamber of Trade chairman Graham Sizer.

Mr Sizer has already publicly spoken of his disappointment and frustration over Minehead Town Council's decision not to include traders in Minehead's Christmas lights switch-on event - which also clashes with Dunster by Candlelight on December 6.

He said the chamber had been forced to go-it-alone and pay for its own advertising to promote local business initiatives on the switch-on day, which had also been swapped to a Saturday afternoon rather than the usual Friday evening.

He welcomed the advent of Friday Street Fridays and said the idea of bunting in Friday Street had also been mooted.

"I am pretty sure the bunting would have the backing of chamber members as we are here to work together.

"The Friday Street traders want more for their street and that to me that is great.

"In the same way the decorative lights down The Avenue will help that area, it would be good to have bunting in Friday Street," Mr Sizer said.

He said the chamber fully supported individuals or trade groups pushing forward with their own ideas.

"I would not be surprised if the later closing on Fridays spreads to the surrounding streets - it's obviously up to the traders, but it would certainly have the chamber's backing," he said.

Mr Taphouse said the Friday Street traders were fully supportive of Mr Sizer and the chamber's efforts to boost the town's fortunes.

"Everyone I have spoken to is very supportive of the chamber of trade - most of us are members - and all think that Graham Sizer does an amazing job for the town," Mr Taphouse said.

"We want to try and do something special in Friday Street to encourage people to come and see us and we would love to see it push down into the town.

"The town council is spending money on Christmas Festival and Friday Street will be open with a number of special events planned on that day, too.

"We want to support their day but it is a shame there is no late-night shopping involved," he said.

The Friday Street traders already have their own dedicated website at http://www.visitfridaystreet.co.uk">www.visitfridaystreet.co.uk, which can be accessed using a QR code found in the shoppers guide and displayed in shop windows.

The site is designed to provide easy access by Smartphone to the 17 participating Friday Street businesses, with a brief description and a link to individual business websites.

Mr Taphouse said: "There is also a navigation facility to the street for GPS enabled Smartphones.

"The scheme was instigated by me and paid for entirely by participating businesses and made for us by local company Inky Design."

l The Minehead Town Council-organised Christmas Community Festival takes place on Saturday, December 6, from noon to 5pm.

There will be street entertainment, live music, stalls, steam lorry rides and a visit by Father Christmas.

The lights will be switched on at 4.30pm and traders throughout Minehead will be saying 'thank you' to their customers with a host of special offers, festive treats and seasonal entertainment.

They will be throwing open their doors and serving mulled wine, mince pies and other refreshments as part of an afternoon of festivities.

Shoppers will be invited to dip in and out of shops and share the spirit of Christmas by taking part in free prize draws.

There will also be lucky dips and free give-aways, as well as fancy dress competitions for some of the younger visitors to the town.