Bristol's Gloucester Road shopkeepers captured in photos

Gloucester Road in Bristol features one of the longest stretches independent shops in the UK

A photojournalist is capturing the "spirit" of traders on the one of the UK's longest roads of independent shops, to celebrate its community.

Colin Moody said he wanted to focus on what brought the people of Gloucester Road, Bristol, together.

Mr Moody said he was "fed up" of hearing about division and separation in the UK.

Shop owner Sarah Thorpe inspired a photo exhibition which will take place next year.

Miss Thorpe, owner of art shop Alchemy 212, said there was a lot of camaraderie among the Gloucester Road community.

Dean is a Big Issue seller on Gloucester Road

Mr Moody said the independent businesses on Gloucester Road were under pressure from future developments and parking restrictions.

He said: "It needs the community to collaborate and work together, not just to save it, but also make it thrive."

Amy Osborne, the owner of David Giles butchers, took over the running of the shop after her father died. She said she "loves working" with the people who live in the area.

Joe’s Bakery has been a fixture on Gloucester Road since 1990

Sarah Barrett has owned the pet shop Roxfords for the past 20 years. After Miss Barrett's father died she felt "redundant" and asked her husband if she could have a pet, which led her to run the business.

Miss Thorpe added: "We look out for each other. Most of the shops here are owned by women and most of them are single parents. It's just different here."

Sarah Barrett has owned Roxfords Pet Shop since 1962

She also expressed uncertainty over Gloucester Road's future. She said: "Independent businesses are dying here in the UK. We need to record this important part of Bristol's history."

Vincenzo and Sons has been on Gloucester Road for 52 years

Mr Moody recently published a book of photographic portraits recording locally-known faces in two other areas of Bristol: Stokes Croft and Montpelier.