THEY are the husband-and-wife team known to many as Hampstead’s friendliest shopkeepers

But after more than three decades of selling newspapers to everyone from street cleaners to the red-carpet actors who have made NW3 their home, newsagents Pravin and Nila Malviya have decided retirement calls.

And, as a reward for the daily smiles and chin-wags, the couple who ran the Village Newsagent in Heath Street headed off in style after residents organised a farewell party.

Pravin, 75, said: “For us, the highlight of being here for 35 years was being able to contribute to the local community. We were not just a business in the area, we became part of the area. Everybody was important to us, the road sweepers, the school children, anybody who walked through the door. They are people who gave us special moments.”

Celebrities such as Lulu, Dame Judi Dench, and the late Marty Feldman have been regulars at the shop.

Old friend and customer Barry Doble said: “These people made the community. They have contributed to it every day.”

Esther Fitzgerald, another customer, added: “They don’t only sell newspapers, but also sort out people’s lives. We will miss them, they are extraordinary people. I remember them really young.”

Fellow customer Louis Reynolds said: “They are friendly, and always go the extra mile for their customers. They are just lovely people.”

The couple are from Harrow and have never lived in Hampstead, but felt that the neighbour­hood was their second home. Nila said: “The response and respect from the community was so great from the beginning, we felt so welcomed. And that has always been the highlight for me. Not everywhere you go you can get the same response and respect from the local community.”