The owner of a pet shop in a West Sussex village has blamed parking restrictions imposed by the local council for the closure of his store.

Robin Duke will close Gatley’s County Store and Pet Shop, in Lower Street, Pulborough, for the final time this weekend.

He said he was left with no option but to close after parking restrictions were imposed earlier this year.

He told his local newspaper, the Midhurst and Petworth Observer, that people started to park in a lay-by outside his shop after that Horsham District Council introduced car parking charges elsewhere in the village.

“Cars park up here for hours meaning our customers cannot park there anymore,” he said. “There is meant to be a parking warden checking on this part of the village but I haven’t seen one for at least six months.

“We need this lay-by to exist as our customers could park up and only have a short walk to their car with 15 kilogram bags of pet food.”

Mr Duke said there were two big supermarkets in the village with free car parks.

“If you are given the option to park for free at Tesco or pay for parking to use our shop, you’re going to choose free parking every time,” he told the newspaper.

“People have stopped coming to our shop and sales have significantly dropped meaning that business is no longer viable.

“We have been subsidising the shop for two years and I have taken the decision to stop.”

The Government’s decision to increase high street rates earlier this year has also played a part in the decision to close.

“High street rates have gone up in the past six months which does not help the little businesses to thrive in villages like Pulborough,” he added.

You can read the full story on the Midhurst and Petworth Observer website by clicking here.