‘A local institution' sweet shop in West Lothian has gone up for sale following its recent closure –after 55 years in business.

Coia's Sweet Shop, on West Main Street in Armadale, opened in 1969 and had been run by brothers James and Giorgio Coia since 1996, when they took over from their parents. The brothers announced their decision to retire last year – citing a variety of reasons, including wanting to spend more time with family and the rising costs of running a business –and the shop closed its doors in August this year.

Now, the much-loved business is being offered to the market for around £149,995.

A listing for the shop on RightBiz describes the sale as “an excellent opportunity to purchase a local sweet shop that has been trading for over 50 years”.

It continues: “The sale also includes the freehold property that comprises 2 shops. The sweet shop is extremely popular but the current owners now wish to retire and this offers a great investment with significant potential. Please note the residential property right next door is also up for sale.

“The shop currently sells a full range of traditional sweets and confectionery as well as home made ice cream. There is scope to grow the business by adding further products, extending the opening hours and offering a delivery service. A new owner may wish to open up the premises to offer cafe seating”.

Often described by locals as ‘a local institution’, the shop sold traditional sweets and was best known for its homemade ice cream, which is a secret family recipe.

In August, the closure was announced in an emotional post on Facebook by Giorgio's daughter, Nadia Coia, who wrote: “It’s the end of an era for the family business.