Customers are queueing down the street to get to the sale of a town jewellers which is shutting after 225 years.

After deciding it would be closing its Maidstone town centre store, Cornell & Sons announced a 50% off sale which started today.

The store, which opened in 1796, is shutting after owners Andrew Putley and Stewart Cook decided to retire.

Long queues were pictured today in Gabriel's Hill as the sale to clear all stock begins.

Once everything is sold, the store will shut for good.

One Maidstone resident said: "The queue seemed to go on forever.

"There were literally hundreds of people waiting.

"They've got people at the door only letting a couple of punters in at a time.

Questions were raised about the jewellers’ future in August after the building it’s been in for more than a century was put on the market for £500,000.

It is a Grade II-listed building, next to Atilla kebab house and Gem Antiques, and is in a “prominent position in the County Town of Kent”.

One person, who has been waiting in the queue for an hour, said: "We've been shopping here for more than 30 years, back in the day when Mike Woodhouse was part of the company.

"It's always our first port of call for jewellery and it always has been and to be honest we were so disappointed when we learnt the shop was going to be closing and knew we'd have to get there for the sale.

"We've been queueing for about an hour and it's been worth every minute.

Julie, whose parents live in Maidstone, said: "My mum has been a long term customer for 40 years. She's 90 in January and has been queueing since 10am.

"They've always thought so highly of the jewellers and they'll be really sad to see it go.

A second man said around 200 people are in the queue, which is spanning all the way down Gabriel's Hill.

He said: "It's like a queue for Disneyland. Everyone seems happy and are enjoying themselves and the coffee shop over the road is doing well from it.

"I hope it's a successful day for the business, but it's a shame it is closing."

George Cornell started in the business as an apprentice and took over the store from the original owner, changing the name to G. Cornell and Sons.

Still in family ownership, in 1890 the shop was relocated to its current premises, where subsequent generations of Cornell jewellers traded and lived with their families above it.

During the Second World War the shop became a manufacturing centre for small parts required to make instruments for fighter planes.

After the war, in 1948, the Cornell family decided to retire and the business was sold to their apprentice, Mr Littlewood, who remained at the helm until the 1980s.

Current owners, Andrew Putley and Stewart Cook, took over the business in 2014 and both have long-standing links to the much-loved jewellers.

Straight out of school, Andrew took up an apprenticeship at the shop and has remained in the business in a variety of roles for more than 42 years.

Stewart started working at the jewellers on a Saturday in 1989 while still at school. He too transitioned into full-time employment after leaving school and continued in the business to the present day.

Mr Putley said: “The closure of the shop is a decision we have thought long and hard about. It is going to come as a shock, and I am sure that there will be a great deal of sadness, but for us it is the right time.

“Of course, it is a big loss for the town, and it will be a very emotional time. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful team of staff, our loyal customers and everyone who has supported the business over so many years.”

The jewellers expensive item is a Fope 18ct rose gold and diamond panorama necklace for £14,930.