A LONG established garage and tyre business in Largs has been forced to close due to a 'lack of business'.

Halford's McConechy's Autocentre, which also provided a car wash, and car rental service from its Bellman's Close forecourt, cited a drop off in footfall and trade as the main reason to wield the axe

Largs councillor Tom Marshall was a regular customer and has expressed his disappointment at the surprise closure.

He said: "It has been there for a long time. It was a local garage before it was taken on by McConechy's and then Halfords in more recent times.

"I was putting my car in for a MOT and couldn't get through on the phone, so I phoned their Greenock office and they told me it had closed. They said they had been trying to keep it open but it had been a struggle.

"It is a loss and another blow for the town centre. It is a surprise given Pearson's has moved out of Largs

"Hopefully somebody might take it on in the current building as it is well equipped."

Anyone who has purchased one of Halfords 'lifetime guarantees' on items like tyres or brake discs will now need to travel, with the closest branches in Greenock and Saltcoats.

A Halfords spokesperson said: “We can confirm our Halfords Autocentre McConechy's in Largs has permanently closed.

"We are working hard to support all of those affected and have been able to offer all colleagues roles at alternative locations.

"We’d like to thank all our customers for their support and look forward to welcoming them at our other two stores, which are located within a 30 minutes drive of the town."

Earlier this year, Halfords said difficulties in hiring car mechanics was partly to blame for a dip in profits.

It said a lack of qualified technicians meant a fall in work at its servicing garages had impacted on overall profitability.

Graham Stapleton, the firm's chief executive, said: “Like many businesses, one of the biggest challenges we face is recruitment. We can’t get enough qualified technicians into our garages to meet demand. There are parallel issues in many other parts of the economy where large skills gaps are opening up.”

Sales of car tyres remained 13 per cent below pre-Covid levels as customers spent cash on energy and grocery bills and rising mortgage rates.