A store director has retired after an 'amazing' 33 years at the helm of an opticians in Blackburn.

Stuart Ingleby, ophthalmic optician and partner at Specsavers in the Lord Street Mall retired last month, handing over the reins of the business to fellow store directors, Ahmed Deshmukh and Amanda Jeewooth.

He first opened his Specsavers store in Blackburn in September 1988, relocating to its current location in 2010. Stuart’s retirement follows his wife Siggy, who also helped run the optometrist until December last year.

Ahmed said: "Amanda and I were very honoured to work alongside Stuart and have learned so much from him over the years.

"He has had an amazing career and been the driving force behind so many of the store’s big milestones, such as the relocation and the establishment of the audiology business in 2006 alongside Peter McMullen.

"Stuart was a great mentor to so many students, myself included. Amanda and I are excited to continue to support our local community and offer the best optical and hearing services we can to our customers.

"Our team presented Stuart with gifts on his last day and we’d love to have a bigger celebration with him and Siggy once restrictions allow."

During his career, Stuart was the Specsavers regional chair for the area and a board partner. He also mentored more than 20 pre-registration optometrists, including fellow store partner Ahmed.