A FAMILY fabrics firm which has been in East Lancashire for nearly 30 years is to close because of a change in people's lifestyles.

Stuart Proud has operated stalls on markets since 1972 while his wife Mary has run the fabric shops firstly at Lonsdale Street, Nelson, and for the last two years at Empress Mill, King Street, Colne.

Mary said: "People aren't sewing any more. Youngsters aren't being taught at school and we are becoming a throw away society because there are so many cheap imports.

"How can you sell fabric to make a top when someone is selling a top for £1 on the same market?"

The imminent closure of Proud Fabrics follows the winding up a week ago of Whitaker's Ironmongers which had been in the same Colne town centre site on Market Street for 120 years.

Partner Mark Clegg blamed a change in people's shopping habits and competition from DIY giants.

Proud Fabrics once employed five full and part time workers in the shop but now Mary runs the business more or less on her own with part time staff. Eight people who worked at the ironmongers lost their jobs when the shop closed.

Mary said the business had some very good customers but unfortunately not enough to keep the business going.

"Stuart started on the markets in 1972 locally and at York, Barrow-in-Furness and Chorley," she said.

"Our son Angus came into the business and our daughter Susan also used to work for us, but Angus now works as a rep for a fabrics firm in Manchester and Susan has returned to teaching.

"We came to Colne thinking it would be a boost to trade because there is free car parking and there is parking right outside but it didn't work out.

"We are both looking to retire and it had been out intention to sell it as an established business but nobody wanted to buy it."

Stuart is going to continue to run the market stall in Burnley on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays for another 12 months. The mill shop will close on August 31.