BUTCHER Peter Smith, one of the best known traders in the Forst of Dean, is hanging up his apron after a quarter of a century.

The door of his famous little shop next to Littledean’s Kings Head Inn will close for the last time on September 27. It will bring to a close 25 years of dedicated service to local residents.

He said: “I have five children but none of them want to take over the business. There are plans for the shop to be knocked down to make space for a car-park for an adjoining development.”

Mr Smith, 68, is proud of a remarkable record: though he lives in Glou­cester he has never once failed to reach his shop, battling through deep snow and floods to make sure his customers are catered for.

“They have been loyal to me and in return I have always tried to help them. I have often taken meat to people who are housebound and we all get along really well,” he said.

Thanking his customers for their loyalty, Mr Smith said he had received tremendous support from them, especially following the death of his wife, Joy, 11 years ago. “I will be eternally grateful for that,” he said.

Friend and customer Mr Brian Turner, who ran the former Whitehouse World at Pope’s Hill for 20 years, said: “For years we used Peter for our meat. Every Saturday he would deliver two great boxes. We are really going to miss him but wish him well in his retirement.”

With time to spare, Mr Smith now hopes to travel to destinations in Europe. He is no stranger to working abroad as before opening the shop in 1988 he worked as a butcher with the army – a service for which he was awarded the British Empire Medal.