"YOU didn't use us so now we are closing." Those are the sad words of a Chipping Sodbury shop-owner who says more and more out-of-town shoppers have forced him to close the final chapter on his family business.

Charles Campbell, who has run Gimby's Books for more than 28 years, blamed the town's parking problems and supermarket price wars as he announced that his High Street shop will close in the coming weeks.

The shop has been run by three generations of the Campbell family, who are deeply sad at the closure but say they have been left with no choice.

Regular customers were devastated to hear the news and Mr Campbell himself is very upset.

He told the Gazette: "We will miss it and have really enjoyed it. It has been much more than just serving people in a shop - there has been an element of doing a social service and we have had a great bunch of people who are more than just customers.

"But sadly, that is not enough."

He blamed lack of parking in Chipping Sodbury and the new double-yellow lines as major factors in his decision, which has been in the pipeline since Christmas.

He said: "Shoppers don't even know the Wickwar Road car park is there. We need a pedestrian walkway into the main shopping area."

Despite advertising and Mr Campbell's own campaign to promote Chipping Sodbury as a traditional choice for shoppers, his book store has seen a fall in trade of 50 percent last year. In one day last week the shop took just £31.

Mr Campbell said: "We managed to weather last year but we have suffered two further downturns since Christmas and just can't weather any more.

"We have no option but to close."

Mr Campbell, who started his career at a small book store in Cheltenham 40 years ago, also blamed the increasing popularity of out-of-town shopping for the demise of his shop.

He said: "Every pound that is spent at shopping centres like The Mall is a pound being taken from somewhere else."

Mr Campbell called for a unified body of Chipping Sodbury traders and councillors to group together and advertise the town on radio and television.

Established in 1976, Gimby's will close in the next few weeks and no new orders are being taken. The Campbells, who live above the shop, have not yet decided if they will stay in the town.

Bowing out of the book industry, Mr Campbell thanked all the shop's loyal customers over the years.

He added: "This is not something we wanted to do but there is no alternative. "We told people that if they wanted us to stay, they would have to use us. They didn't and it is now too late."