A Cotswold radio station has announced it is to close.

North Cotswold Community Radio (NCCR) will cease broadcasting come the end of the year.

The closure comes as founder and chairman, Robb Eden, made his decision to step down, 16 years after setting up the station.

He said: “I was incredibly lucky, at an early age, to work in broadcasting and for this reason I decided that setting up our own community station in the North Cotswolds would be a good way of transferring those skills to others.

“Training has always been a key element of what we do but sadly the benefits that others, such as the BBC, have gained from this haven’t been reciprocated.

“This lack of support will mean that our community will be losing an important voice but it’s an indictment of the value placed on community radio in this country”.

NCCR started broadcasting in 2007 and since then hundreds of volunteers have stepped up to the microphone or worked to keep the station on air.

The Chipping Campden-based radio station regularly hosted work experience for students from local schools, with several having gone on to work in the mainstream media.

Broadcasting will officially stop at 7pm on Friday, December 30.

After this, numerous broadcast and electronic items, including a Sonifex S2 mixing desk, will go up for sale.

Anyone interested in these items should contact Mr Eden at robbeden@aol.com.