ONE of Carlisle's oldest pet shops is closing for a major refurbishment.

Nu-Pets on Lowther Street will shut its doors on Saturday, September 14.

It's the first time that the shop, which has been in its current location for nearly 40 years, has had an upgrade.

But repairs are necessary after the floor was water damaged a few years ago.

Ricky Pieri, from the shop, said: "We had a leak in the back room which affected the avariums and caused a power shortage.

"The wall was filling with water and leaking into the Howard Arms so we need to sort that and replaster."

Work and repairs on the shop are being carried out by Mr Pieri and his staff.

He said: "It will be good to have a clean out as we've collected all kinds of things over the years. My dad got the keys to this shop on the same day that my sister was born. Before that the shop was based a bit further up the street.

"We've got a sale on at the moment and it will be a fresh start when we re-open."

The pet shop offers a service where people can leave their animals when they go on holiday. This service will continue - even when the shop is closed.

Mr Pieri said: "The staff will still be here to feed and look after the animals. They'll be in morning and night and I'll be here during the day."

He said rats were the shop's biggest selling pet.

"They are really popular," he said.

"Bearded dragons are popular too. They sell well. They are a nice lizard and are easy to look after.

"Iguanas are quite large and a lot of them end up being rehomed - or that's what our trade magazines tell us anyway."

Elsewhere in the city centre, the Cotswold outdoor shop, on English Street, is due to open its doors on Saturday, August 31. It has been closed this week.

The shop is hoping to re-open on October 2.