A bookshop is closing down this month after 22 years of trading.

Oasis Christian bookshop on Church Road in Tiptree has been staffed by a group of volunteers from Christian churches in and around the Essex town since it first opened in 1997.

But most of those volunteers are now elderly, so the decision was made to close the business.

A message on Facebook informed customers that the closing down sale began on Wednesday, “when there will be massive price reductions”. “The shop will close for the last time on Saturday 19th January 2019. We would like to thank all of our customers for supporting us during the past 21 years.”

The idea to have a Christian bookshop in Tiptree began in 1989. The shop opened in 1997 following a £1,000 donation and in 2009 it expanded into the premises next door.

The bookshop was going out on a high note, after being awarded Volunteers of the Year award by Christian retailers in 2018.