McGroggan’s ice cream shop on William Street in Ballymena will close on Saturday after 103 years of trading.

Owner Patricia McGroggan said the decision followed years of rising costs for ingredients, rates, wages and electricity, together with a sharp fall in town-centre footfall.

She said Brexit-related supply problems made it harder to obtain ingredients, while changes to traffic flow created a one-way system that reduced access to the shop.

McGroggan said the evening economy had declined and that many customers now shop online, leaving the town quiet after 6pm.

The business, founded by Hugh and Annie McGroggan in 1923, will serve its final cones this weekend.

North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows described the closure as the loss of a business that formed part of the town’s fabric and called for rate relief, better parking and investment in town centres.

Another long-established Ballymena retailer, McKillens on Church Street, closed its doors recently.