IT is a case of ‘So long, and thanks for all the fish’ as Botley’s West Way Chippy serves its final fish supper on Saturday.

Scrawled in graffiti outside the chip shop, the words referencing the fourth book in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series, serve as Botley’s goodbye to the family-run business.

Oxford Mail:

The chippy is the final independent trader to leave the shopping arcade ahead of its controversial redevelopment, preparation for which began last month.

Owner Faqir Fahota said closing after 10 years in Botley was a ‘very sad time’ for the family-run business.

He said: “We feel really disappointed that we have to leave.

“We’ve always had great support from our customers - they’ve been like a family and we will miss them."

Footfall has severely reduced at the centre with the one-time thriving independent shops now replaced by empty, boarded-up units.

Oxford Mail:

Mr Fahota, who runs the the business with his wife, and son and daughter, added: “We’ve been struggling for more than a year now.

“Trade went really down and now the developers have told us we have to leave and so there’s nothing we can do.”

The family are in discussions with developers, Mace, and remain hopeful they can secure a unit once the regeneration project is complete.

The scheme will see the area redeveloped into a mixed residential and retail space, including a 122-bedroom hotel and 262 student flats

The West Way Chippy will close its doors for the final time at 9.30pm tonight.