It has been announced that a 152 year old hardware store located on Bedford high street, has decided to close the business down due to its struggle in a shopping environment which is heavily dominated by online and discounted sales.

Goldings of Bedford Ltd opened in 1867 and many customers expressed their sadness at the news.

In a statement released on social media, the Goldings' team said: "It is with deep and sad regret that Goldings of Bedford Ltd has no choice but to run a closing down sale and to cease trading. As many of our loyal customers are aware, we have been struggling for a while now, and the footfall on the High Street is now pretty much non-existent.

"We have tried to stay relevant over our 152 year history (including the Boer, First & Second World Wars plus the Great Depression) but today’s internet society and other stores which provide the same products as us but cheaper because they are multi-national companies have made it impossible to continue.

"Please come and see us especially if you have not been into town for a while, you will be helping an iconic Bedford business sail off into the sunset. We would like to thank you all for your continued custom and support through this difficult time. This has not been an easy decision; we have held on for as long as we can. The reality is; however, we just cannot sustain our product lines and our service for so few customers.

"We are devastated," the team stated.