A long-established Weymouth town centre shop will sadly be closing its doors later this year.

The Weymouth Deli, which has been selling fresh food to many happy customers for decades, will be closing down before Christmas.

The shop, in Frederick Place, has been trading for 45 years.

Current owner Lian Berry has been in charge for 20 years.

He expressed his sadness that his shop was closing and showed gratitude to his customers over the years.

A decrease in trade in recent years is being blamed on the closure.

Mr Berry, 44, said: "It is just a shame I am having to shut. I love my customers. The reason they come in is because we enjoy the quality fresh food. That is why we are here."

"We get people coming from all over the country coming to buy our stuff. They come here every year and buy our stuff. They love what I do. I have got some great customers who I would consider friends."

The store sells fresh food, including a wide range of meats, cheeses and biscuits. It prides itself in offering home made food, including pies, sausages and more. It also offers both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

A large share of what it sells comes from local producers, while some also comes from places including Greece, Spain and South Africa.

Mr Berry cited a loss of business in recent years as the main reason for the store's closure.

He said that the lease was due for renewal around Christmas time, but he decided that it is not financially viable to do so.

"I have been here twenty years around the shop. We have got some brilliant customers who have been with us a very long time.

"The problem is that for the last three and a half years the trade has been decreasing year after year. I have had to lay off staff to try to mitigate some of the problems."

"There are not as many people shopping. That is the main crux of it."

The store will continue trading for the next few months until the end of its lease.