THE closure of a long-established garage and shop at the main gateway to Tenby is being blamed on the increase in local convenience stores.

Fiveways Garage at The Green has been run by Oil4Wales, with a Spar franchise, for the past five years.

However, it has now closed its doors.

The opening of a Co-op convenience store near by just under two years ago "was pretty much the death of our business," said Oil4Wales director, Sally Owens.

The company acquired the garage "and a significant debt with it" from previous owner, David Thompson, who had run the business for 32 years, Ms Owens added.

Following the Co-op opening, and "with Tenby already having a large convenience store in the centre of town, it left us dying a death in our shop," she continued. "Margins in petrol are small, and the shop is what subsidises the profit.

"The lease was coming to an end, and with the site making considerable losses month after month, and with us not being able to agree more beneficial rent terms with the landlord, we had to make the sad decision to leave.

"The staff have all been wonderful there, and it was a difficult decision to make, but with the continued losses it just wasn't sustainable."