POLICE say there will be no further action over allegations of financial irregularities at an auction mart in relation to its move out of town.

An investigation was launched last summer after shareholders at Darlington Farmers Auction Mart (DFAM) contacted Durham Police with concerns.

Darlington Mart is in the process of moving from its outdated, town centre site in Clifton Road to a purpose-built new building at Humbleton Farm, near Burtree on the outskirts of Darlington.

A spokeswoman for Durham Police said: “Police were speaking to two men in relation to allegations of financial irregularities at Darlington Farmers Auction Mart, relating to the ongoing move of the mart to its new site out of town.”

The spokeswoman said there would be no further action in respect of these allegations “as there was no realistic prospect of conviction due to evidential difficulties”.

Mark Dent, chairman of DFAM, declined to comment on the statement from Durham Police.

The new site will include space for 1,000 cattle and 3,000 sheep, and it is hoped sales at the auction mart will go up by as much as 15 per cent.

Currently, agricultural vehicles have to enter Darlington town centre to load and unload, adding significant time to their journey and also contributing to more congestion.

The 140-year-old mart has repeatedly tried to relocate over several decades, and plans to move to Humbleton Farm were first mooted more than a decade ago.