A HURWORTH shop owner who has served the village for more than 13 years has decided to take a well-earned rest after spending nearly 40 years in the retail trade.

Mr Billy Marsh, owner of the Spar shop on the green, hands over the reins to the new owner, Mr Ajit Singh, on Monday.

Mr Marsh, aged 49, began his retail career at the age of ten when he worked by his father's side at the family's delicatessen stall in Darlington covered market.

His wife Julie will continue to run the post office inside the shop and the staff will all stay on.

"We have had a few businesses over the years and two years ago we sold a shop we had in Staindrop," Mr Marsh told the D&S Times. "I've had enough of getting up at 4am to do the papers, it's someone else's turn now. I'm taking a couple of months off when I am going to do nothing at all.

"Then I'll look around for a nice nine to five job working for somebody else."

Mr Marsh said he had made a pact with himself.

"If I could sell the shop before I was 50, I would," he said. "If not, then I was going to stay on."

The shop will be closed on Sunday afternoon for stocktaking and re-open later in the day.

Mr Marsh added: "I only live round the corner from the shop so I will enjoy being a customer from now on.