ONE of the oldest independent shops in the region is to close within days.

J Bond hardware store has been a fixture of Willington High Street for more than 100 years, but owner Neil Sanderson is retiring and says the business will go with him.

Mr Sanderson, 68, said: "I will miss the people coming in because they are not really customers - they are friends. But I think it's the time to go."

Bond's is one of the few independently-owned stores left in Willington. It has remained in the same family since it was established by Joseph Bond in 1899.

"He started out bringing records from Newcastle to sell here," said Mr Sanderson.

The business later passed to Mr Bond's daughter, Isabel, and her husband, Frederick Sanderson - Neil's father.

"I loved living here as a child. The accessibility to Dinky toys and Meccano was great," said Mr Sanderson, who lives in Willington with his wife, Janice.

By the time he joined the business in 1961, Bond's had expanded to occupy three High Street shops - a status it maintained until he turned 60 and decided to scale down.

"When I think back it's amazing the things we used to do," said Mr Sanderson, a father-of-two and grand- father-of-three.

"We sold everything from bicycles to household appliances. Christmas was always hectic.

"We used to deliver presents to houses after the children had gone to bed, no matter how deep the snow."

Mr Sanderson has agreed to sell the shop to neighbouring Floor Mart, and will move out as soon as legal procedures are completed.