THE owner of a shop in Oxford’s Covered Market which has closed after 28 years said it was a difficult decision.

Elena Conway said a difficult business climate contributed to her closing The Farmhouse gift shop on Saturday leaving four part-time staff out of work.

Mrs Conway, who worked at the shop since 1990 before she bought it five years ago, said: “I am really sad to see it to go.

“I am grateful for the messages of support from friends and customers when they found out we were closing. The amount of love and support that I got was amazing.”

There has been a long -running rent dispute at the Covered Market between some traders and owner Oxford City Council.

The council proposed rent hikes of up to 70 per cent in 2012 and after more than two years of negotiations traders agreed to a 16 per cent rent increase in October.

In August 2013 chocolate shop Chocology closed with owner John Partington blaming rent rises.

But Mrs Conway said the rise in rent was not a major factor in her decision.

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She said: “I was really sad that it had to go but I was fighting a losing battle and I was really touched by the support that everybody showed to me.”

She added: “I built the business up and it was great. I transformed the business by making it a really personal store.

“We would bend over backwards really to help the customers and I have made a lot of friends from customers coming in.

“There was a really good team spirit between me and the staff. The girls are so upset that it has to close.”

Despite losing the lease Ms Conway remains the owner of The Farmhouse and said she hopes it may return in the future.

She said: “I think that could be a possibility.

“I have had no time to sell my stock off and I am really sad for it to go.”

Vicki Alder, of Macsamillion shoe shop and the Covered Market Traders’ Association, said: “We are disappointed that another business has gone.

“The Farmhouse was different and sold unusual products and we are sad it is going.

“We do not know the reasons why they are going but for the shops of the market it is sad that something good is going.”

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