Henlow Greyhound Stadium is set to close down later this month, with plans in place to redevelop the site.

In December last year, a court ruled against Henlow Racing Ltd in their efforts to renew their lease of the site - which opened back in 1927 - after plans were approved to build 75 new homes.

The final greyhound race at the stadium will take place on Sunday, January 21, with promoter Kevin Boothby admitting he was "gutted" by the news.

"The first point I should make is that I am absolutely gutted but we have reached the end of the road," he told Greyhound Star.

“We have been attempting to renew the lease over several years and felt we had a strong legal case, even though the judge disagreed.

"The recent court case has cost in the region of £150,000, and although we stand by that initial view, there is no guarantee that we would win an appeal.

"In terms of our local trainers, all are welcome at our other tracks. We only have around 60 to 80 Henlow-based graders anyway and many of the trainers already race at Towcester. There is no welfare issue."

Mr Boothby helped save the failing venue when he took over in 2004, building a restaurant to help revitalise Henlow Greyhound Stadium.

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2024 plans had included re-opening the restaurant and bringing the Bedfordshire Derby race back to Henlow, but racing will now be halted and the stadium dismantled.

"So we have three Sunday meetings to go and I hope many of the people who have enjoyed Henlow over the years will support us on those final meetings," Mr Boothby added.

"We are planning a bit of a wake for the final meeting with what has become a bit of a tradition, pizza and chips.

"We have to be off-site by April 5, and we will have to dismantle the whole stadium including the restaurant.

"I can’t tell you how sad this makes me. I love Henlow and I honestly think there is still a place in greyhound racing for a track like it."