PAWNBROKERS Albemarle and Bond who shut up shop last month have sold their loans to rival company H&T.

Customers have been told that they will soon be able to redeem or extend their pledges with minimal disruption.

One resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, was worried he wouldn't get his items back after he was told by employees in the Clydebank shop his jewellery been shipped to Oxford, England.

He told the Post: "Originally I just couldn't get through to anyone to find out what was happening. I was phoning and emailing and was getting no answer.

"But yesterday I received a letter saying my stuff will be moved back up to Scotland to a H&T pawn shop next week.

"It means me and everyone else can get their stuff back. It's good because previously it wasn't looking very hopeful. It was quite a stressful time but we are getting somewhere now.

"We don't need to worry about our stuff being in another country."

Read more: Customers 'can't get items back' from Clydebank's Albemarle and Bond

The closest H&T store in Clydebank is only two doors up from the former A&B store - and the firms main focus is to support A&B's customers after buying the loans for £8 million.

The deal does not include any stores which all remain shut.

John Nichols, H&T chief executive, said: “This is an exciting transaction and enables us to cement our position as the UK’s leading pawnbroker. Our immediate focus is to do everything we can to support A&B’s customers.”

Kohei Ogawa, head at Daikokuya Holdings who own A&B, added: "We deeply apologise to customers for any uncertainty and upset caused by our decision to close in the UK.

"Once we decided to do this, we had to move quickly, in order to secure more than 35,000 customer pledges in our central secure facility.

"This agreement with H&T is a good outcome for customers and will enable them to redeem or extend their pledges with minimal disruption.”