ONE of the oldest retail names in Blackburn will scale back its operation when the market hall closes.

Gray’s will stop selling menswear and womenswear when its Penny Street outlet closes as part of the redevelopment of the market site.

Its Northgate branch, which sells school clothing, will remain. Manager John Wilding said he was ‘sad’ to be closing the shop he had worked in since leaving school 40 years ago.

A closing down sale has started, although the store is likely to remain open for a few days after the market moves to The Mall shopping centre on Wednesday.

Mr Wilding said: “We’ve come to the end of our negotiations with the council.

“We don’t know when yet, but closing down sale has started. We looked at other shops to go to, including The Mall, but didn’t find anything. I am 63 and don’t want to start taking another shop on.

”It is a wrench, but at least we have the other shop still open.”

The market building will be demolished after the new complex, on the ground floor of the £66million shopping centre extension, opens on Wednesday.

The last remaining store will be music shop Reidy’s, another well-known Blackburn business.

Yesterday negotiations were still taking place about its future after the market moves, but manager Paul Nuttall said it would still be open next week.

Gray’s has been in business in Blackburn for 91 years, and ahead of the market move. Mr Wilding said he remembered the glory days of the old Ainsworth Street market site.

He added: “In the 1960s and 1970s the market was so busy - it was like a football match. I really hope the new market is a success.

“It is really important because the market represents the character of the town.”