A treasured First World War building near Warminster, which has become the focal point for a community, is to be demolished and replaced with modern facilities.

The popular garage shop in Codford, which is made out of corrugated iron, is thought to be the last building of its kind in the area, but the owners and community agree it needs updating.

Brendan Smith, 39, is the owner of the family business. He said: “We have been striving to push the business forward steadily. We had big goals for it and we have managed to do this gradually to get the project to where it is now. It seems like the right time to do this.

“It’s a corrugated tin shed that’s been here since WWI. It’s seen better days. We want to be able to offer a better alternative than going all the way into Warminster.”

The garage shop acts as a newsagent, post office and all-round community facility for villagers – even running coaches for the school run and for private hire.

The post office is being moved out this week into temporary facilities, while the shop has until March 20 to move into the neighbouring vehicle repairs workshop.

The demolition of the shop is expected to take place in early May and is likely to take six months to complete.

Mr Smith, who took voluntary redundancy from the MOD in 1996 to join his family’s company, said: “My grandfather was involved in buying it in 1971 and they lived in this unit at the time because they sold their house to buy it.

“To be honest we are here because we are so well supported locally. It’s quite diverse.”

Romy Wyeth, the chairman of Codford Parish Council, said she was sorry to hear the building would go but pleased that the community will be better served.

“It’s a positive thing for the villages to have a purpose-built facility that serves the needs of the community. We are really really lucky,” she said. “I’m always sad to see a WWI building go but the new facility is going to be a very good thing for the villages.

“They need more storage space and more space to sell things to make better use of the unit.”