Hythe market has been saved - just 48 hours after the operator ann-ounced that the popular attraction would close next week.

Campaigners have won their race against time to preserve the weekly market, which attracts thousands of shoppers to the Hythe area every Tuesday.

Enterprise Markets dropped a bombshell earlier this week by announcing it was pulling out of Hythe and

terminating its lease with New Forest Council.

Yesterday the council agreed to allow the market manager, Gary Brown, to operate the event on behalf of the authority from July 8.

The agreement with Mr Brown is due to expire at the end of August, but campaigners are confident the council will find a way of securing the market's long-term future.

Hythe councillor Brian Dash said: "I think it's a question of how it will be run after August, not whether it will be run.

"It wouldn't be in anyone's interest if the market closed, least of all the council's. The market creates a significant amount of revenue for the authority and that income stream would be switched off if the facility ceased."

Stallholders launched a petition within hours of being told that the current operator would not stage any more markets in Hythe after next Tuesday.

Cllr Dash added: "Shoppers queued in blazing sunshine for 40 minutes to sign the petition, which shows how strongly people feel about the issue.

"Stallholders collected about 2,000 signatures in a day - and addresses on the petition confirmed that the market attracts people from a huge geographical area."

The Save our Market campaign was launched by John and Jenny Hackett, of Blackfield. Mrs Hackett said: "Everyone pulled together and did a fantastic job including the Daily Echo, which highlighted the threat to the market and covered the campaign to keep it open."

Hythe councillor Maureen Robinson said: "The market has been part of Waterside life for more than 20 years.

"It attracts a lot of people from a wide area. Some of the shoppers who signed the petition live in Bursledon, Weston and Netley."

A council spokesman said: "We still need to agree a permanent solution. However, interim measures have been put in place and we will review the situation over the summer with a view to devising a long-term strategy."

Enterprise Markets has refused to say why the company is pulling out of Hythe.