ONE of Inverclyde’s longest-serving shopkeepers is selling up following a car crash and a courageous battle against cancer.

Mohammed Naeem, who has run the Broomhill Newsagents for the past 32 years, says he has loved being at the heart of the community.

But after surviving a road accident and a fight against cancer within the space of seven months, Mohammed believes the time is right to let someone else take over the busy local shop.

He said: “The past 32 years have been brilliant.

“I will miss all the customers as they have been great and have really looked after me.

“I like people and they like me. Even when I’m in the supermarket in Greenock they come up and talk to me. I’m going to miss my shop.”

Mohammed, who worked up to 18 hours a day, was injured after being involved in a smash in Glasgow.

He said: “Someone went into the back of my car. I ended up with whiplash, a sore back and pains in my legs but luckily I didn’t break any bones.”

Two months later, while  recovering from the accident, Mohammed took ill – and received devastating news from doctors.

He said: “I wasn’t well one weekend and was being sick and I had a temperature, so I went to my doctor and was referred to the hospital.

“I had tests including CT scans and X-rays. They knew something wasn’t right and told me there was a tumour but they weren’t sure what it was.”

After a four week wait, Mohammed was diagnosed with stage four non Hodgkin’s lymphoma, affecting his abdomen and lungs.

He added: “When they told me I had cancer I was worried about how I was going to tell my family, as it was a very aggressive form of cancer. I kept it to myself for about four or five days before telling my family.”

Miraculously, the brave dad of four, who lives in Wemyss Bay, was given the all clear after undergoing intensive rounds of chemotherapy treatment.

He said: “The doctors told me that I’m fortunate to be here. I want to thank all the medical staff, as they treated me like I was a member of the royal family.”

Throughout all this, Mohammed’s son Wakas looked after his shop.
Now Mohammed, who is originally from Kashmir, is ready for a break.

He said: “At one point in my life I was working between 14 to 18 hours a day. If you want a better life then you’ve got to work for it.

“I do miss the shop but if your health isn’t there than you can’t carry on.”