The owner of one of the oldest aquarium shops in the country says she is being forced to close because of a controversial road scheme.

Aubrey Ayton set up one of the first shops in Britain selling tropical and cold water fish in Beaconsfield Road, Brighton, in 1945 and became known as the "Original Aquarist of the South".

His daughter, Joy, was just 16 when she joined the family business and took over Preston Aquarium when her father died several years ago.

Joy Faller, who is now 56 and lives in Brighton, is shutting shop within the next two weeks, saying she has been forced out of business by the London Road one-way traffic scheme.

Long-time customers have been flocking to the shop to say a final farewell to a tearful Joy.

She said: "My father used to keep tropical fish and when the chance to buy the shop came up he decided to give it a go.

"It was quite unusual in those days and I think he was the first aquarist in the South outside London.

"I was three or four at the time and my mother used to bring us in to the shop before school. At first, I wanted to be a secretary but when I entered the trade at 16 I loved it. I loved the selling and talking to people."

Joy, who runs the business with her husband, David, said roadworks which went on for nearly two years caused huge tailbacks on Beaconsfield Road and potential customers just gave up trying to reach the shop.

She said: "One woman said it took her one-and-a- half hours to get to us and said she wouldn't be doing it again. Customers are so different these days. As long as they get what they want, they don't care about service any more. We lost a lot of business."

Joy said she spent months lobbying Brighton and Hove Council but all she got was £50 off her rates.

A spade has been thrown through the shop window and it has been sprayed with graffiti. Joy says she has simply lost the will to carry on.

She added: "I'm tired of coming in and wondering what will have happened next. The area has completely changed.

"Lots of customers have been coming in and saying they will miss us. It is going to be really sad when I shut the doors for the last time. But I am tired of fighting."