Nigel Farage's ‘favourite’ shop set to close as bosses blame Labour tax changes

William Evans, an independent gun shop in St James, London, is set to shut its doors after trading from the premises for more than 80 years.

Bosses said changes by Chancellor Rachel Reeves had led to surging business rate bills, forcing them to close the shop which opened in 1944.

The Reform UK leader - of whom the shop claims to be his favourite - was “saddened” by the news.

“This is the last remaining independent gun shop in London, which is obviously very sad. Business rates tipped it over the edge,” Karl Waktare, Williams Evans’s vice president, told the Telegraph.

Their other shop in Bisley, Surrey, is to remain open.

To stay open, Mr Waktare explained the store would have to have sold £100,000 of extra stock to balance the books.

In recent months, Labour has unveiled a number of policies, including a ban on trail hunting and plans to toughen firearms licencing, which means it would be harder to purchase and own a shotgun.

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Last November Mr Farage popped into William Evans where he spent about 15 minutes browsing before buying a £30 pair of gloves, according to the Mirror.

He then went to the firearms store Beretta where he browsed.Mr Farage’s weapon of choice for shooting is said to be a Beretta.

He was pictured out and about with members of his entourage.

The gunmaker, which supplied sniper rifles to the Scots Guards in the First World War, was originally based near Victoria Station, before moving to Pimlico and the Pall Mall.

A bombing raid in the Second World War then forced it to relocate to St James, where it has been based ever since.