Britain's only Dementia Concern shop in Greenford is set to close after almost 20 years with rising rent prices blamed for its closure.

The charity shop, in Greenford Road, will close on June 24 after bosses decided not to renew the lease of the shop which opened in 1997.

Shop manager Doreen Austin, who has held the position for eight years, will be forced into retirement and a total of 19 volunteers will be let go.

Ms Austin, who has lived in Northolt for 40 years, said: "They (bosses) said we weren't taking enough money.

"We have had so many people wanting us to stay open, we are the only Dementia Concern shop anywhere.

"We had people coming in from Reading to give us donations.

"I feel sorry for customers because it is a way of life, people are saying they have been coming to the shop since it has been open.

"I will lose my living but I will just have to retire, and some of the volunteers are maybe too old to find other positions."

Dementia Concern manager, Roger Beckett, claimed efforts were made in recent years to keep the shop afloat through price changes and recruiting more volunteers.

But he added the shop began to struggle when the cost of rent jumped from £10,000 to £17,500 in 2007, and when an additional 20% discount of business rate relief, on top of a 80% mandatory discount, stopped in 2013.

Mr Beckett, who ruled out the possibility of another shop opening elsewhere, said: "It has not been making a profit for some time.

"We put a lot of effort in to improvements and carrying out refurbishment but it was still losing money - we really needed an extra £10,000 in sales a year that we never achieved.

"We were in danger of putting the charities services at risk, the objective is to raise money and we were losing money.

"I know how hard the manager and volunteers were working but it is just very difficult if the costs leap up."

Stephen Pound MP, who represents Ealing North, said he was concerned about the loss of the shop he said many of his constituents held dear.

Mr Pound, who claims he has written to Ealing Council to request business rate relief, added: "It is going to be taking the teeth out of the smile in Greenford.

"It is a decision being taken by a head office and they didn't appreciate how important it is - it is a really crucial part of Greenford.

"People are finally talking about dementia and it is the worst time to be shutting."

A council spokesperson said: "As a charity Dementia Concern receives an 80% mandatory business rate discount.

"The council also supports such organisations by offering them the opportunity to apply for a further discretionary discount of 20%.

"We have not received a recent application from Dementia Concern for this further discount but we would be happy to discuss any new application we receive in the future with them."