Businessman Paul Savage has been forced to close his Sound House store in Deal High Street, after 20 years at the shop.

The doors shut for the final time next month and he has blamed the rising costs of parking in the town centre, which he claimed deters browsing shoppers.

Mr Savage, 50, said: "Shutting the store is very sad. It has been a struggle recently and I don’t think traders get much help from the council.

"Parking charges are high for this small town, the same as Canterbury’s, and Deal does not have the same foot-fall.

"I have been doing this job for 34 years and not done anything else, but over-priced parking is just one of the reasons I am closing.

"People are shopping online for music and supermarkets are selling it cheaper than I can buy it! I am being hit from all sides."

* For full story see the East Kent Mercury, December 22.