A BAKERY in the heart of Hexham town centre has unexpectedly shut its doors for the last time.

No. 13 Bakery and Cafe, on Cattle Market, closed last Saturday.

The bakery was previously Grant’s of Hexham, but in 2014, when it broke away from Grant’s of Corbridge, it was renamed No.13 and was run under owner Colin Hayes.

Andrew Cotterell, director of Grant’s of Corbridge, said that Mr Hayes had come up against various struggles with the business, including rising rates, higher food costs and rising wages.

He added that parking in Hexham town centre and the work on the bus station had both affected trade.

“He is a friend of mine and it’s not good when you see another local business go down, but there’s still a good local bakery of good quality in Corbridge,” he added

“A lot of people were thinking we were part of it even though we separated out three years ago, and we want people to know it’s business as usual for us.”

It is believed around six jobs have been affected by the closure.