Fuel price war shuts Cannock garage after 80 years

One of Cannock's longest running family owned businesses is to close after more than 80 years of trading.

Three jobs will be lost at Walstell Garage, in Wolverhampton Road, when it closes its doors on Friday, May 6.

It stopped selling petrol yesterday and the shop on the site will remain open for the next two weeks.

The service and MOT testing centre, which sits next door to Walstell Garage, is not being affected by the closure as it is leased out.

The garage, which has been run by the Swift family for more than 82 years, has been forced to close by spiralling fuel costs.

Patricia Swift, who has worked at the garage since 1952, said that similar businesses are fighting a losing battle against national and internationally recognised petrol stations.

The family are exploring alternative schemes for the site according to company secretary Dot Wilson, aged 60.

She said: "It's been a joy to work here. I'm retiring, another girl is going to see what's out there and the other lady is retiring like me."

Originally known as Swift's Transport Services, the business opened after the First World War when it was set up by George Swift and his wife Kate.

The business was originally conceived as a haulage firm, with the Swifts building up a fleet of lorries which were commandeered by the Government to be used by the armed forces during the Second World War.

After the war, the Swift family rebuilt their business and relaunched it as a motor garage before moving on to sell fuel.

The garage got its name after George and Kate had their twins Walter and Stella.

Walter died last June and the firm was left in the care of his wife Patricia, aged 73, and their children Nigel, 52, and Nicola, 48.

Mrs Wilson said it was not viable to keep selling petrol at the garage any more as many independent traders are being priced out by larger companies.

The company secretary said people have already been visiting the garage with an eye to creating a new business on the site.

She said: "We have had people come from van sales and car sales, but at the moment we don't know what they are going to do."