​A FORMER lorry driver has moved into the world of retail by setting up his own town centre clothing business.

Steve Morris, 42, co-owns the new Ex Factor store in Cole Street, Scunthorpe, with his wife, Gail.

The shop opened for business earlier this month, selling ex-chain store clothes for men, women and children at low prices.

Mr Morris, of Winterton, said: “There are not many shops in Scunthorpe that do children’s clothing and ex-chain clothing at a reasonable price.

“We have got children ourselves and we struggle to find clothing for them.

“We took four months to find the premises, with a lot of research around the town centre.

“We found the premises and went from there.

“There are so many shops around Scunthorpe shutting down, but we are trying to make a go of it.

“Hopefully, we can be successful and maybe get onto the High Street, but keep the clothes at a reasonable price.

“The most expensive thing we have in the shop is £20.”

Mr Morris began his working life in the farming industry before becoming a haulier, moving goods out of Immingham and around the UK.

He said the move into retail with the new shop came about because of the lack of employment opportunities in haulage.

“There are not the jobs available,” he said.

Mr Morris, along with his family, now plans to grow the clothing business after a positive initial reaction from customers.

He said: “It is not a massive shop, but it is a reasonable size and we want to grow it.

“We have had a fantastic reaction from people.

“We were not sure at first because as a start-up business, we can’t afford to pay High Street prices and rent and it is always a worry trying to get passing trade.

“The worry is slowly going, with the reaction we have had from the public coming in.”