An independent gaming, modelling and hobby store in Ipswich town centre is expanding in the run-up to Christmas.

Langden Games has been based in an upstairs room in Tacket Street for the last seven years.

But now, following Cash Exchange's move out of the shop below to premises in Upper Brook Street, it is taking the plunge and moving into the larger space downstairs in Tacket Street.

Matt Holden, of Langden Games, said: "We stock everything from Magic: The Gathering and Pokemon to Dungeons and Dragons, Games Workshop games, and models.

"We have just grown out of our current space - we have got stock piled high and had no space left.

"When the premises became available, we thought, it's now or never. We're looking forward to having more space.

"It should make us a lot easier to find. We still get some people who don't know where we are."

Matt added: "The internet kept us going during lockdown."

He said they had grown their website quickly, with customers ordering online when they couldn't go to the store.

However, while the web is now a key part of the business, it has been great to welcome people back in person. "It has been really nice to be supported by the local community."

Matt, now 39, is one of a team of three running the store, and has been a keen gamer since he was eight years old. "I started by playing a game called HeroQuest," he said.

He worked at the Ipswich Games Workshop store for five years and taught many people how to play games ranging from Warhammer Fantasy Battle to Lord of the Rings.

Langden Games was originally known as Ivory Goat, but changed its name in 2017, which was when Matt joined the business.

It regularly hosts game-playing sessions and events, and its new premises will give it more space for this.

The move is taking place gradually, but this weekend saw the first event staged in the new space, marking the prerelease of a Magic: The Gathering expansion pack, Crimson Vow.

Langden Games serves a wide age range, from children and teenagers through to those aged 60-plus who are still passionate about games and models.