A POPULAR festival which sees shops put on special £5 offers is set to return to Maldon High Street.

Residents are encouraged to "shop like your high street depends on it" in the Totally Locally Fiver Fest coming back to Maldon on Saturday, March 12.

The campaign sees independent shops offer £5 bargains over two weeks to encourage shoppers to spend their cash in the high street.

If every adult in Maldon spent just £5 per week in their nearby independent shops and businesses it would mean £2.8million per year going directly into the local economy, figures calculated by Totally Locally using most recent ONS data suggest.

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Allison Gray, chair of Maldon Business Board and Maldon High Street Together, said: "Fiver Fest creates a real buzz around town and helps the public find shops they may not have otherwise visited.

"Supporting and keeping the local businesses here in Maldon makes the town better. It’s that simple and your £5 spend really does matter.

"We would love people to spread the word, there really is something on offer for everyone from butchers to sweet shops, vegan, eco/refill, books, coffee and cake, fashion, gifts and so much more."

Organisers are creating a map this year making it easier for customers to follow what's on offer and which shops are taking part.

Maps go to print on Monday (March 7) so any high street businesses which would like to join in are asked to email allison@aroundmaldon.co.uk as soon as possible.

The event launching next Saturday will run until March 26.