A man who bought the store he worked as a Saturday boy at is set to celebrate 40 years of ownership.

Steve Allen, 61, owner of SF Electrics in Forest Road, Loughton, is preparing to mark the fourth decade since he bought the store in 1975 after former owner, Gordon Fowler, announced his retirement.

Mr Allen, who was 21 at the time and working in London, said he bought the store for £8,400 including all of the stock however paid Mr Fowler back with £25 instalments a week.

He said: “I was 15 when I first started working there on Saturday’s.

“I remember on my first  day I kept thinking the door was like a fan as it was forever opening and closing.

“We would have around 200 to 250 customers a day on a weekend.

“At the age of 21 Gordon said he was retiring and asked if I would like to buy the shop.

“I said I would but I had no money and he allowed me to take over the shop and pay him £25 a week for six and a half years until I had paid the full amount.

“It was unheard of back then, a 21-year-old owning a shop, but thanks to Gordon I was able to.”

Despite it being 40 years since he took over, the father-of-four said his stock still remains the same including the sale of 60 and 100 watt bulbs.

Mr Allen said his main achievement is keeping the shop open following a "noticeable loss of smaller shops".

He added: "Since 1975 the area has changed significantly and it disappoints me that a lot of the changes are not necessarily for the better.

"A lot of the little shops in the area are closing down; there is a noticeable loss of smaller shops.

“Loughton High Road is now very unbalanced and has a lot of larger shops.

“When Westfield in Stratford opened, it hit us as a town very hard.

“Online business also affected us however people don’t always get what they’re looking for offline and could get it for the same price here.

“A lot of my customers have been around since I took over all those years ago, we have sort of grown up together.

“I am proud I have managed to keep the store open for as long as I have and I look forward to celebrating my 40th anniversary and the stores future alongside my customers.”

Mr Allen will mark four decades of service at his store on April 1.