United Kingdom-New Cattle Market has first birthday.

UNITED KINGDOM-SEDGEMOOR Auction Centre, Britain’s newest livestock market, has claimed a major record just a year after opening.

Saturday sales at the North Petherton site are now recording the highest turnover of any in Britain. As they celebrated the first anniversary of its opening at the weekend, the directors said the phenomenal success of the venture vindicated their decision to build it on such a strategic site.

The £6 million centre at Junction 24 of the M5 was built by the Mead Group of construction companies, headed by Somerset dairy farmer Derek Mead.

It replaced the former livestock markets in Taunton and Bridgwater. Managing director Katherine Wetherall said record prices had been consistently recorded at the sales centre, as its accessibility has opened up trading to buyers from a far wider swathe of the country.

"We are so easy to reach that we are getting buyers from the north and the far South West, as well as Wales," she said. "Naturally that’s helping create excellent trading conditions."