A family who have run a garage for 35 years say their futures have been “ripped to shreds” after they were given just seven days' notice to leave.

Unit 4 Autos, in Station Road, Borehamwood, received an eviction notice from the National Grid on Saturday giving it until Friday, February 27 to vacate the site.

The garage is run by three generations of the Dollman family who say they are “devastated” to end three decades of trade on such a miserable note.

The building is owned by the National Grid and although Unit 4’s lease with them expired in 2013, the family claim they were in talks about renewing it.

Simon Dollman, 44, said: “It has cast a huge black cloud on our lives. I am beyond devastated to have to say goodbye in this way – after serving the community for so long we feel we deserve more.

“It’s a complete disgrace. We feel everything we’ve worked so hard to achieve has been ripped to shreds.

“They’ve messed up our lives and they’ve put us out of business.”

The National Grid is dismantling gas holders on Station Road in July this year to make way for new homes.

Despite this, the energy infrastructure firm offered Unit 4 a ten-year lease with a four-month break clause – something which was being discussed throughout last week.

Mr Dollman, who has four children, added: “I feel completely betrayed by them. They promised us we wouldn’t be left out in the dark.

“How am I going to afford to feed my family? How am I going to afford my bills? It’s going to be a huge struggle.

“I feel gutted. That’s the end of us. We’ve always been a thriving business and now look.”

Without time to find new premises, Mr Dollman says the family have no other choice but to leave more than £10,000 of heavy duty equipment behind.

Mr Dollman’s nephew, Adam, 19, is studying to become a mechanic at the garage – but will now be unable to complete his coursework as his training has been cut short.

Alan Dollman, 66, opened the garage in 1980 and had been looking forward to retiring and passing the business down to his sons, Simon and Steven.

He said: “I’ve spent so long building this up and for this to happen in this way is crazy. It’s disgusting that such a big business would do this to us, without warning.

“We thought everything was fine. I can’t put it to words how upset we are as a family.”

The National Grid offered them the chance to stay until the March 31 at a 'reduced rent' of £16,000 for five weeks.

A statement from National Grid said: “The lease expired in 2013  and we have been discussing the garage’s future on site since June 2013.   

"National Grid has a long-term ambition for the site to be redeveloped. The removal of the two redundant gas holders in summer 2015 requires vacant possession of the site in order for the work to be carried out safely.

"Our action to remove Unit 4 Autos follows an extended period of uncontracted occupation and significant rental arrears.

"On February 19, we offered Unit 4 Autos the opportunity to stay on the site until 31 March at reduced rent while the garage finds new premises. We are yet to receive confirmation of their intentions.”