Beloved Prestatyn Market to close to make way for retail giant Home Bargains

ITV Wales' Rob Shelley meets those who love - and will miss - Prestatyn Market

A beloved Market in North Wales has closed its doors for the final time as it makes way for a retailing giant to be built in its place.

Prestatyn Market has ceased trading after more than 40 years. The thriving community hub first opened in 1973 and has been the beating heart for locals for generations.

The bustling market stalls and car-boot sales were part of many childhoods, but now sales will become a ghost of the past.

Despite operating four days a week, the popularity of the market has declined in recent years.

One local resident said: "It is a shame, it is not just a market it is a meeting place for everybody."

While another man is devastated by the news. "It is an emptiness, as a lot of people have been visiting for generations."

The market's site on Gas Lane Road will make way for retailing giant Home Bargains. The new store, which is set to include a garden centre, is expected to create more than 70 jobs.

Diane Jones, Market Supervisor, had the job of closing the market for the final time and is saddened by the responsibility.

She told ITV Wales: "It was sad to put the lock on the gates for the final time this evening, as it has been trading since 1973 and has been really popular."

There is currently a Home Bargains on High Street just three minutes away, local residents have been visiting the market for generations and are devastated by the decision.

Another resident added: "It is sad for the older generation, they don't buy a lot but it is a place where they would go and have a natter."

It has been popular with tourists and locals around the area, becoming a piece of the town's history, but now it will just remain a memory.