Broadhursts in Southport closes after a century due to 'unsafe electrical wiring'

Independent bookshop Broadhursts in Southport has shut its doors after more than a century in business, leaving staff and customers “devastated”. The closure has been attributed to unsafe electrical wiring.  

The four-floor store

that it would cease trading with "immediate effect", adding "all booksellers have been made redundant".

The store also reposted a Facebook statement about the closure written by Claudeen Brown, the wife of Broadhursts’ new owner: “I know a lot of people have been wondering why the bookshop has closed so suddenly, so here is some more information from the new owner’s wife, originally posted on Facebook, which will hopefully clarify the situation somewhat,” reads Broadhursts’ repost.

"The correct reason it has been shut, is that the property does not meet current electrical safety standards, with much wiring dating back to the 1930s we were unable to gain the legally required electrical safety certification to remain open,” Brown’s statement reads. “C K Broadhursts will continue trading in new and antiquarian books on a new online platform while discussions concerning options for the market street site continue.

“As a member of the family this is devastating for us all, however it is lack of maintenance and health and safety sating back decades that has put us into this predicament not the sudden change of ownership.”

The iconic store has been open since 1920 when it was founded by Charles Broadhurst with a loan from his mother-in-law after he returned from World War One, according to LancashireLive. Broadhurst died in 1987 and the shop was taken over by Laurence Hardman, who began his career there as a floor sweeper in 1969. Hardman died earlier this summer.