A WELL-known former Leigh bookshop has been sold to a property investor.

Grindley's, in Leigh Broadway, has been bought by an un-named individual, after being put on the market since November 2007.

The family-run shop was originally advertised by Sorrell Estate Agents for £595,000, but the final sale price has not been revealed.

Co-owner Martin Grindley said: "I don't know what the plans for the property are, I don't think even the guy who bought it knows.

"It's due to be formally exchanged at the end of May."

Many people in Leigh were sad when the much-loved shop closed in January, after trading for more than 60 years.

Customers included a young Dame Helen Mirren who grew up in Leigh and returned to the shop to sign copies of her autobiography last September.

The three-storey terraced property comprises a large, ground-floor shop with a two-storey maisonette above and two-storey brick stables behind.