ONE of the most iconic and long-standing buildings in Bromsgrove will shut its doors for the final day today (Friday).

All Saints Garage, the Vauxhall dealership on Birmingham Road, which has been selling cars since the 1950s, is closing down after nearly 70 years.

Vauxhall are closing the dealership due to a restructure and the building has been sold to Bromsgrove District Housing Trust (BDHT), which plans to turn it into apartments.

No jobs are being lost through the closure as staff at will move to Cresser Redditch, which has owned and run the All Saints site for the past 20 years.

Nonetheless, Cresser director Nick Danks admitted it was an emotional day for both him and the town.

Mr Danks, 60, told the Advertiser: "I've worked here for 20 years and some of the staff have been here longer than that.

"I was quite upset thinking about it this morning. My dad used to buy cars from the site.

"It's a big thing for the people of Bromsgrove too - it's an iconic building that people walk or drive past when they go to school or work.

"So many people have popped in to say how sad they are that the place is closing and to wish us well."

The garage's workshop had to be rebuilt after a fire in the 1990s and has had several refurbishments, meaning its appearance has changed hugely from when it opened as our pictures show.

Despite the nostalgia, Mr Danks said he understood why the decision had been made to close the dealership.

He added: "They are closing the smaller sites because investment is required elsewhere.

"The Bromsgrove branch has always been a modest-size dealership and Redditch is three times as big.

"It's s sad day but it's a sign of the times and the business has to move forward. These things happen every day across the country.

"I'm pleased that we've managed to keep everybody employed and they will join us at Redditch."

Bromsgrove customers who find the Redditch location difficult to get to for servicing will have their cars collected and returned.

Mr Danks added: "We hope that the move will be as smooth as possible and that our loyal customers stick with us."