One of Ipswich's best-loved businesses is calling it a day in January when Victoria Nurseries off Westerfield Road closes its doors for the last time.

Ian May and his partner Wendy are retiring after running the business for almost 40 years - but before closing, it has one more busy period selling hundreds of Christmas trees to customers from across east Suffolk.

Ian, who is now 76, leased what was then a five-acre plot to open Victoria Nurseries in March 1984 - as well as selling plants and gardening equipment he also had a menagerie of exotic animals.

There was local excitement when his rhea (a large South American bird similar to an emu) escaped - and there were also freedom breaks from a wallaby and a Patagonian Mara.

Victoria Nurseries became smaller in 1996 when its landlord, the Fonnereau Trust, sold most of the land for housing - but Mr May established a garden centre and farm shop on the site that became popular with local residents and the town's gardeners.

The business has always been operated on land which is due to ultimately be redeveloped - last year a planning application was lodged for a new care home on the site.

That was ultimately withdrawn because of concerns about the size of the proposed building and parking arrangements - but there may be another application submitted for the site in future.

Although Victoria Nurseries will be closing its gates on January 31, Mr May still plans to sell Christmas Trees again next year - from Venue 16 (formerly Greshams) in Tuddenham Road.

The shop and garden centre has been particularly busy since the start of the pandemic but Mr May said while it was not the primary consideration in their decision to retire, the current economic crisis had been a factor.

He said: "Our electricity bill has more than trebled over the last few months. I can't think how other larger businesses can cope with things like that.

"I know larger garden centres are also having to cut back because the kind of spending you get in places like this is the kind of thing that people will be cutting back on if their incomes fall."

The shop will stop trading a week before the final closure - and there will be a half-price sale to clear the final stock.

Mr May added: "I will be sorry to leave Victoria Nurseries as it has become 'my family' but I feel the time is right. 

"I'd like to thank Wendy for all her support and work over the last 27 years and the staff past and present, some of whom have been with me for many years."