Clacton has gone crafty and continental this week with the first of its ‘Modern Markets’.

The initiative from the Clacton Town Partnership attracted around 20 stalls and runs until Saturday evening.

A range of foreign food stalls added spice to the crafts on show.

They included Spanish, German, Greek, Thai and Turkish.

Crafts included a fine array of wood carvings, plus leather goods and print your own t-shirts.

Traders reported a good start to the event, which started on Wednesday and runs for four days until Saturday.

Graham Webb, chairman of Clacton Town Partnership, confirmed the markets had boosted the numbers of shoppers in the town centre.

“There’s a great variety of stalls. They all look professional and are well laid out,” he added.