Borough Market: under threat of extinction

Borough Market is under threat of extinction, according to travel experts who have placed it alongside more exotic locations on a global list of "endangered destinations".

Wanderlust magazine says the market suffers from the millions of tourists it attracts each year and ongoing railway development is eroding its heritage.

The market, near London Bridge, is included in the magazine's third annual "critical list" with Virunga National Park - home to gorillas in Democratic Republic of Congo - the island of Madagascar and Jordan's Wadi Rum.

Although 4.5million visit the market each year, many come just to take pictures rather than spend money, says the report - adding that major development work for the Thameslink Project is destroying Borough's historic face.

Stallholders fear that the market will not survive as they struggle to make ends meet. Jamie O'Brien, 69, a bread seller for De Gustibus, has worked there for 14 years. "The heart of the market is only just there," he said.

"The pulse is dramatically reduced. It has lost its soul and is waiting to die. It won't last very long.

"Rates are going up and there's speculation it will close. People are forced to sell the cheaper stuff because they can't survive on quality products.

"The rail development has gone through the heart of the old market and it's all very different now."

Wanderlust's editor-in-chief Lyn Hughes described tourism as a "double-edged sword". She said: "Rapid development, booming visitor numbers and political strife are just some of the issues highlighted in our Endangered Destinations List."

The only other UK entry is the Three Peaks Challenge, included because of concerns that its popularity is endangering hills and surrounding villages.