THREE former students are hoping a renewed love of vinyl will make a success of their new record shop.

Ben Waugh, from Bransgore, has been joined by two pals to open the store in Bournemouth with new and old music albums on sale in plastic as well as CDs.

Ben, 23, and his friends Sam Holland and Ross Boardman, said their shop in St Michael’s Road has been searched out by vinyl fans already.

Ross, 25, said: “We’ve been hunted down as vinyl lovers have found us.”

He said they researched the popularity of vinyl after many record shops shut down in previous years and said though it only accounts for a small percentage of total music sales it is surviving as a music form.

He said: “It went drastically down but in the last two years it’s been growing with shops opening and people buying vinyl again.”

Sam, 24, added: “It’s coming back.

“We’ve definitely been selling more vinyl than CDs.”

The three of them were at university together in Canterbury.

They named the new shop Flat 13 Records after the property they have moved into upstairs in the Robert McKay Kay development, built on the old C&A site.

Ben said they are hoping to capitalise on an appetite for purchasing items instead of downloading music.

“And you just don’t get the same quality buying online,” he said.

“I don’t know if people are becoming wise to that or if they want something tangible.”

The trio are also hoping to nurture local artists by selling their work commission free with plans to use the two extra rooms downstairs for performing and recording.

Ben added: “We are musicians ourselves and if we can help them then they can also tell their friends about us.”