A WGC bookstore bid farewell to customers at the weekend, as it held its last day of trading.

The shutters came down for good on Maher The Bookseller on Saturday, after 16 years, a host of celebrity signings and millions of books sold.

This week, the store’s windows were adorned with pictures of all the authors, sportsmen and television personalities who had visited to meet customers and sign copies of their latest books, including Lewis Hamilton, Terry Wogan, Phill Jupitus, The Hairy Bikers, and former Spurs strikers Ricky Villa and Ossie Ardiles.

A notice had also been placed by store owner Tony Maher, thanking customers and staff for their support over the years.

“It is with great sadness that we are closing but it has been fun and a pleasure to be here,” Mr Maher wrote. “I leave with some great and very happy memories.

“Thank you also to the fabulous team of people who have worked with us over the years – without them this business would not have been what it was. May I wish you all every success in the future.”

Maher The Bookseller opened in the Howard Centre in 1995, and at its peak the company had six bookstores across the country.

In the 16 years it was operating, Maher sold more than five million books with a total turnover of just under �40m.

Howard Centre manager Peter Brooks said: “The centre is very sorry to lose such a long term tenant.

“The book trade has been hit with a whole series of new areas of competition in recent years from supermarkets, internet and ebooks, it isn’t only independent sellers like Mahers that have suffered, it’s the major chains as well.”

He added there had been interest in the unit, but would not speculate on what businesses had made enquiries.