Sheppey's oldest holiday firm is packing up.

David Lynch who runs the Sheerness Travel Agency says he is planning to call it a day at the end of the year.

But he added that alternative uses for the shop in Sheerness Broadway are "in the pipeline."

He said: "My intention is to closed the travel agency at the end of the year but people have been throwing ideas at me for other uses.

"It is still too early to say. Everything is still up in the air and nothing is 100% confirmed.

"But I will make up my mind before Christmas. There are many ideas in the pipeline."

The firm has been booking Islanders on holiday for more than 50 years. It was David's late father Derek who launched the business in 1968.

David, 61, said: "It was a fluke. An administrator was in town to shut down another travel company and popped into our shop to buy sweets.

"He mentioned it to my dad who said the town needed a travel agents and within weeks we had a temporary licence from ABTA."

Within 18 months the travel agency had taken off and Mr Lynch Senior decided devote the whole shop to it. The remaining confectionary, stationery and gifts were handed over to fellow shop-keeper Brian Fitch.

David admitted: "I had no plans to follow in the family business. I was set to become a chartered accountant and had been offered a place at university.

"But during the summer holidays my dad asked me to help stuffing brochures and I loved it so much I cancelled my university place. I've been here ever since."

He suffered a big blow a year ago when his older brother Malcolm Hardy died at the age of 73.

David said: “He was my brother and my best friend."

The brothers, who had different fathers, were born in Manchester but emigrated to New Zealand before moving back to the UK. They settled in Sheerness where Mr Lynch bought HA Snook.

David said: “Sheerness Travel is the longest established travel agency on Sheppey. We have booked hundreds of thousands of holidays for generations of families.”

Read more: All the latest news from the Isle of Sheppey