When the Speedwell Tool Company first opened in Preston, Winston Churchill was calling Europe to arms against Nazi Germany.

But now the firm is leaving its base in Deepdale for a new home in Ashton-in-Makerfield. The majority of its 40-strong workforce is making the 20-mile trip with the company.

The move comes just as owner Russell Cowburn, who bought the business with his father and brother in 1959, hands the firm over to his son Martyn.

He recalls clearing out boxes of war equipment collected by the firm's original founders.

Mr Cowburn said: "These days we are just one shop in the corner but then it was five separate shops which we knocked into one and found all this war equipment most of which was useless.

"The company used to supply to firms like British Aerospace and Leyland Motors during the war and we still do supply to a lot of those kind of firms today.

"It will be sad to go because I have been here nearly 50 years but, hopefully, our customers will follow us down to Ashton."

He said the decision to move to the Three Sisters Trading Estate had been taken because his son Marytn and nephew, Ian, who will be running the firm both live in the Wigan area. It will also give the firm a state-of-the-art new sales and warehouse facility.

Mr Cowburn said: "The other issue is that Preston had become swamped with other tool firms who are doing a very similar thing to us which obviously brings competition.

"We are confident that our customers will stay loyal to us and follow us down to Ashton, but it just seemed like too good an opportunity to miss."