Chalets from the Bath Christmas Market should be given to the homeless so they have somewhere warm to sleep this winter, some residents have suggested.

The residents made their thoughts known as traders began dismantling the sheds on Monday (December 11).

Hundreds of the wooden chalets had packed the city centre until the 18-day market came to an end on Saturday.

Visit Bath, which organises the market, is proposing to extend the duration of lucrative market to 25 days next year.

Responding to news of the possible extension on Facebook, Michelle Slater wrote: "Omg I hope not I think they should donate the huts and shelters to the homeless".

Tim Thorne made a similar suggestion. He wrote: "Instead of using the huts to shelter the homeless for a while in this weather they have started packing it away!"

Christmas market huts huddled at the foot of Bath Abbey

Cecil Weir, the funding director for Bath homelessness charity Julian House, called the suggestion “a really interesting idea".

Mr Weir said: “From a practical point of view, if it would be possible to take, say ten of the sheds and move them to a quieter part of town for the remainder of December and January, it could be really helpful.

"Rough sleep numbers are high and it’s a really dangerous time to be sleeping outdoors."

He said certain risks would be associated with letting homeless people use the sheds, but that those risks could be managed.

“You’d almost certainly need some kind of supervision and that’s where conversations could be had the B&NES Council and Bath BID.

“But certainly if the sheds were going to be free and could be moved it would be worth a conversation.”

Hundreds of wooden chalets pack the city centre for the market

A spokeswoman for Visit Bath said: “Visit Bath do not have planning permission to keep the chalets, which are temporary retail structures, up for longer than 18 days and do not have permission to move them to another area of the city."

She added that 18 charities get a free day's trading at a dedicated charity stall every year. They raised a combined total of more than £8,000 last year, she said.

According to Visit Bath, the Christmas market is very lucrative for the city.

Last year, 420,000 people spent an estimated £5 million at the market and another £16 million shopping and eating out around the city.

There are no official figures yet for this year.