PRIME commercial properties in a Hereford city centre street - including the famous Crystal Rooms - have been sold in a deal worth about £1 million.

The sell-off will mark the end of an era for the Rooms, in Bridge Street, which have been a major centre of entertainment for thousands of young people from Herefordshire and beyond for more than 35 years.

Shows there will cease in May and the news was greeted with regret by nearly 1,000 people who packed in to the club's Lock Up night on Saturday to enjoy Roni Size and his group Reprezent.

Owner Clive Davies confirmed to the Hereford Times that a sale of the property had been concluded.

He agreed it was the end of an era, but for him it was time to move on.

Mr Davies said he was glad to have provided so much entertainment for so many people for such a long period and he thanked those who had supported him over the years.

It is understood the Crystal Rooms building will be demolished and the site redeveloped, possibly with shops on the street and residential accommodation behind.

Also sold is the adjoining premises now housing a launderette and a cobbler's shop.

The owner, Phil Cleaton, said he had concluded a deal with the same buyers of the Crystal Rooms.

He has been there since 1972 but said he was happy to leave Bridge Street.

Mr Cleaton claimed a doomed traffic reversal scheme in Hereford had killed off business there and it had never recovered.

There was no future for businesses like his in the street. People in cars were afraid to stop even for a short time.

He was sorry for customers who had been using the launderette and the cobblers, some for many years, but it was not possible to carry on.

Mr Cleaton said he intended to relocate the contract side of the launderette business to the Aydon Business Park, off Holmer Road, and it was likely the cobbler, Claude Oldham, would join him.

Neither Mr Davies nor Mr Cleaton was prepared to talk about the sale prices but it is understood the combined price tag was around £1 million.

The new owners of the properties remain a mystery at the moment, the first buyer having sold the on to a second within days of concluding the contract.

Chartered surveyor Jon Turner, who was involved in the sale, said negotiations started with Shrewsbury-based company Bovale. But it transferred the deal at the last moment to another company called Security Bet.

A spokesman for Security Bet told the Hereford Times it had now sold it on, but he was unable to name the new owners at the moment.

Mr Turner said the sale of the Crystal Rooms did not include the large warehouse at the rear, facing Gwynne Street and in the shadow of Hereford Cathedral.

That was subject to another deal about to be agreed with a local person.

Any changes involving the Bridge Street properties will need planning permission.