WYCOMBE'S "mecca" for vinyl lovers Scorpion Records closed its doors last week after 30 years of trading.

The closure of the shop in Oxford Road marks the end of an era for many "musicologists" who have made it their first port of call since it opened in 1977.

Owner Jeff Amor named the shop after his star sign, Scorpio, and started it from humble beginnings selling records in Wycombe market on Fridays and Saturdays.

He said: "I was selling records in Wycombe market in my spare time. I suppose you could say I was a frustrated record buyer because I had to travel to London to get my own vinyl.

"I started selling because of the gap in the market locally. It took off really well and I was soon renting a shop.

"It was a day in September, I can't remember when exactly. I named it after my birth sign and I just fell into making a go of it."

Of this week's shut down, he said: "It's not been an easy decision to make but I have to wind down the business."

Scorpion's early days of a few racks and second-hand albums flourished into an extensive music shop, trading myriad music products from badges to CDs and of course vinyl records.

It was also Wycombe's ticket outlet for Aylesbury rock venue Friars.

For some acts like the Clash, Genesis and local hero Howard Jones, huge queues for tickets snaked along Oxford Road.

But in the coming years it will be groceries and not records that people in Oxford Road will soon be queueing up for.

Sainsbury's, in Dovecot Road (near Oxford Road) is taking over the whole parade of shops where Scorpion Records is based and will be using the land to build a bigger, better supermarket.

Planning permission was submitted to Wycombe District Council in September.

But as a new era begins, the legend of Scorpion will live in on.

Mr Amor will be trading on the internet and at record fairs and will also be offering a bespoke record sourcing service for his customers.

His former employees Stegg and Cheryl are also keeping the tradition alive with their new shop Counter Culture in Desborough Road which opened seven months ago.

Stegg, who joined Scorpion in 1978, said: "We are keeping the flame of independent music alive in Wycombe. These days everything is disappearing but we do not want independent music to go."