Amesbury Pet Stores in Wiltshire will close its doors next month with owner Sue Osment admitting “the time is right” to stop trading after 39 years.

Sue, who joined the business as a sales assistant 36 years ago, told the Salisbury Journal: “I have met a lot of very nice people and had some very happy and sad times.

“I am sorry to the people of Amesbury that have supported us over the years they have been great, but I feel the time is right. We will all miss having a good laugh and a joke with all of our regular customers.”

Amesbury Pet Stores was opened in 1979 by brothers Chris and Frank Langley.

Sue started working at the pet store when Frank emigrated to Australia, and worked her way up to manager and then company director of the Amesbury store and a scond outlet in Salisbury.

Unfortunately, Chris died in 2010 and the Salisbury store closed two years later.

“It just hasn’t been the same since Chris passed away,” said Sue, who has witnessed a change in people’s shopping habits. “It was more hands-on back then. None of this self-service stuff with people helping themselves.”

Amesbury Pet Stores in Salisbury Road is due to close on April 21.