He’s been rising every day at 3.30am and getting into work some 45 minutes later for the past 20 plus years.

But that’s all about to come to an end for Alan Devereux who is retiring from his newsagent’s shop in Sudbury.

The 69-year-old is shutting his A & G News, in Friars Street, after running the shop with his wife Gillian for the past 34 years.

His daily routine of bed at 10pm and up some five-and-a-half hours later, seven days a week, is about to be exchanged for a totally different lifestyle in a few week’s time.

His final delivery rounds are to take place on March 3 with the shop closing a month later on April 8.

“I’m usually in at 4.15 in the morning every day but I’ve had enough of running the shop now and it’s time for me to retire and get out of it,” he said.

His 59-year-old wife worked with him until eight years ago when ill health forced her to stop but she helps him out with his paperwork from their home in Glemsford.

He’s seen customers come and go and said his business was badly hit following the fire in the street back in September 2015.

“I have known customers for years and years and it will be strange when I close up after working seven days a week and I have been in every day except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day and we haven’t had a proper holiday for the past 20 years but I’ll be out on the golf course as much as possible.

“We lost thousands of pounds as a result of the road being closed from the fire and no council officials came to see us ... we just had to get on with it and it hit everybody badly.”

Apart from the many newspapers he sells, with the East Anglian Daily Times being the first bundle to arrive in the morning, he also stocks cards, magazines, sweets and drinks and has 10 delivery rounds every day.

He reckons computers and the internet is fast becoming the first port of call for news with his rounds dropping from an original figure of 16.

“You don’t need to come in and buy a newspaper as much now as you can get it all online,” he said.

And he recalled the day when he arrived at work some years ago to find the front door of the nearby HSBC bank wide open.

“There was a problem locking the door but when I looked in there was nobody in there but I just called the police who came out,” he added.

His newspaper rounds are being transferred to The Kiosk, in Borehamgate Precinct.