A STATION platform vendor, ordered to give up his coffee and newspaper stall, has been told he can stay...for two more weeks.

National Express East Anglia wanted to kick Nigel Clark’s stall off Marks Tey station and charge him far more to trade in a refurbished station building.

Mr Clark, 45, has been selling drinks and papers to commuters there for ten years and faces an annual rent hike from £2,500 to £7,000.

His notice to quit expired yesterday, but the rail company has given him a two-week reprieve to allow him to consider his options.

The Department of Transport has given the company £2.4million to refurbish the station with a new ticket office and an improved waiting room on the Colchester-bound platform.

It wants Mr Clark, of Colchester Road, Chappel, to move to a new pitch in the station entrance, but he said: “There’s no way I can afford the increase.

“I would have the same customers and, although I’ve been told to diversify, I’ve asked customers if they would want a hot bacon roll or something in the morning and they don’t.

“They don’t want expensive frothy coffee, either.

“Marks Tey is the kind of station where people arrive four minutes before their train.”

He thinks National Express East Anglia has failed to ask commuters how they would like the Government money spent.

A straw poll of commuters by Mr Clark found more than 200 had missed a consultation event organised about the plans, because they were be at work at the time.

Witham Tory MP Priti Patel has raised her concerns in a House of Commons debate.

She told MPs: “National Express has behaved disgracefully over Marks Tey station and shown complete contempt for local commuters. In recent months, it has made no effort to consult commuters and only now, on the eve of work beginning, has it bothered to send a few people out to showcase the plans, choosing to be there at a time which is inconvenient to many commuters.

“We’ve had to fight long and hard to get National Express to agree to allow Nigel to continue to sell newspapers and coffees to commuters while the work takes place, but after that, his future is uncertain.

“Some 700 commuters have signed a petition in support of Nigel Clark. National Express should be paying attention to the people who use its services.”

A National Express East Anglia spokesman said: "The improvement plans for Marks Tey are part of the rail industry's National Stations Improvement Programme.

"We have met with Priti Patel MP to discuss these plans which will provide new up-to-date facilities for the benefit of our customers and will accommodate future growth in rail travel.

"We have sought to engage positively on this matter and will continue to do so as part of our commitment to provide our customers at Marks Tey with a much improved and more modern station."