He was the first UK newsagent to refuse to sell porn magazines. Now, after 36 years of running his Stoke Newington High Street shop, which sports a “Porn Free” sticker on its window, Hamdy Shahein is calling it a day.

“I’ve got a lot to do, a lot of charity work,” said Shahein, 62, who sold his business, Hamdy’s News, as a going concern to a former Stoke Newington bookshop owner.

A popular community figure, Shahein first gained media attention in 1980 when he battled giant WHSmith which insisted on sending him pornographic magazines to sell.

Shahein refused and rallied 500 newsagents to join his “porn-free” network. His anti-porn awareness efforts resulted in WHSmith allowing its agents to opt out of selling the material.

A notice on Hamdy’s News’ shop window broke the news of his retirement on Tuesday. Customers were surprised to find out, with some going into the shop to question him.

There were hugs all around. Customer Diane Dyer, 74, who has lived in Stoke Newington since 1971, said Shahein always knew what she wanted.

“In other shops, the staff play with their phones while you’re there. The personal touch is not there like it is in here,” she said.

The well-loved Hamdy Shahein, a newsagent in Stoke Newington for 36 years. Pic: Arnau Busquets Guardia

Born in Egypt, Shahein moved to London in 1976 and has been involved in numerous community initiatives such as Justice for Joe and Stokey Local.

The former was a campaign to free a young mental health patient jailed for trying to escape from a psychiatric ward, while the latter was a community drive to stop the development of a five-storey building in Stoke Newington.

Shahein, who has also been known to run marathons in aid of charities, is putting on his running shoes post-retirement.

“I’ve got three marathons coming up. I want to go to Palestine and Israel for peace, and I’d like to do something for Iraq and Syria,” he said.

He said he “made sure” his business will maintain the same name, staff and everything that made it unique. “He might only change the decoration a bit,” Shahein said of the incoming owner.

Stoke Newington resident Tony Emmanuel, 45, a painter and decorator, calls Shahein an “honest” man.

“He talks to people, everybody laughs. You can see the atmosphere here. He’s going to be sadly missed. He is family to us.”

Turkish-born Gem Zurnacj, 45, a teaching assistant at a local school, said Shahein has donated things to his school over the years.

“I’ve known Hamdy for 15 years and it’s going to be a huge loss for the community,” he said.

“I’ve never known a man like this. I call him Superman. He will be missed.”