AS THE first face customers see when walking into Asda in Trowbridge, Murray Bastiani has become a well-known fixture at the supermarket.

Now, after 46 years service, he has bid a fond farewell to colleagues and customers after retiring this week.

Mr Bastiani of Bythesea Road first started working for Fine Fare, before it became Gateway and then Asda, and said he never expected to still be working at the store so many years later.

“It was my mum and dad that got me the job,” the 64-year-old said.

“It was a permanent job after my dad got a job in the old Shires.

“I never expected to be here 46 years later at all. I didn’t expect it to last so long.”

Mr Bastiani, who has been forced to retire due to health reasons, has enjoyed holding a number of roles in the store including the job he is most well-known for: collecting trolleys in the car park.

“Since working here, I have done a lot of jobs from working on the butchery, to the warehouse and lastly trolleys,” he said.

“Working in the butchery was my favourite job. I did that for about three years. It was in the shop for quite a while before they got rid of it.

“Out of everything, I think the people I have worked with I will miss most. And also the customers because I’ve always spoken to them.

“Now I’ve retired I think I’m going to have a nice little rest. I don’t have any trips or holidays planned but I’m going to enjoy my time off.

“I’ll definitely make sure to keep in touch with everyone, though.

"I just want to say thank you to Asda for the many years working here.”

Asda staff gathered in store this week to say farewell to Mr Bastiani.

Store manager Simon Freestone said that while he was quite new to the store, he had been told by customers how much Mr Bastiani would be missed.

He added: “Murray has become part of Asda in Trowbridge because he has been here for so long.

"So many customers have said to me that he will be missed because he is the first person they see when they come here and the last face they see when they leave.

“There are so many long-serving members of staff here, which I think shows that Asda is a great place to work. There are lots of opportunities for young people coming though and people like Murray provide that inspiration.

"They have a lot of pride and a lot of great things to say about the business.”