A SERVICE station close to the West Oxfordshire boundary has changed hands.

The Shell-branded Rowborough Service Station on the A429 has been sold, allowing the previous owner to retire.

John Eaden purchased the 0.4-acre plot in March 2015, before putting it on the market in early 2020.

The sales process faced hurdles, as one week before launching to market confidentially, the store was the scene of a ram-raid burglary.

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Further delays were caused due to Covid-19, however specialist business property advisor Christie & Co has now completed the freehold sale.

Mr Eaden said: “This has been a traumatic and frustrating experience for all concerned but Christie & Co and the legal teams have worked together to achieve a positive result in the end.

“The new owner is an experienced operator and is already building a store extension. I wish him well and I’m sure he will make a great success of a filling station in a superb location.”

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Jamie Williams, a business agent with Christie & Co’s retail team, added: “Following the ram-raid, the site was very badly damaged.

“Difficulties around lending due to the Covid-19 pandemic created additional challenges when negotiating with prospective buyers.

“We are delighted however that we were able to utilise our network to find a buyer and finalise the sale before the end of the year.”

The service station has been purchased by Sritharan Manickavasagan, who owns AKV Garages (UK) Limited.