A FLACKWELL Heath supermarket which served the village for 40 years closed its doors for the last time yesterday.

Budgens on Straight Bit shut on Wednesday after Musgrave Retail Partners, Budgens’ owners, decided to walk away after failing to find a retail partner to take on the lease.

The closure comes less than a year new Sainsbury’s store opened a few hundred yards away.

Gerry Knowlden, who has run the nearby Cherry Tree pub for ten years, said the loss of the store was a shame for the whole village.

"Without a doubt it’s a sad day for Flackwell Heath," he said. "It’s served the village well for 40 years.

"People seem to have short memories as they’ve always gone the extra mile for us. The last couple of times it snowed they made sure a lorry came every day to bring supplies.

"I was always against the new Sainsbury’s and personally it was shame to lose another pub when it was built as the villages used to have six."

The controversial Sainsbury’s store was built on the site of the Green Man pub, with many residents fearing Budgens may eventually close when the major supermarket chain moved in.

This was despite a retail analyst claiming during the planning process there was room in the village for both shops.

Flackwell Heath Residents’ Association has called for another store to take its place, warning an empty plot would have an adverse impact on village life.