Guernsey residents John and Julia Singer have bought the lease to manage the island of Herm for an undisclosed sum.

Unsullied by the modern world, the tiny Channel Island, sandwiched between Guernsey and the Isle of Sark, has one shop and one pub. The hotel – a television-free, telephone-free and clock-free zone – transports its guests’ luggage in a tractor as cars and bicycles are banned.

The couple fell in love on the island and have promised to preserve “the jewel in the Bailiwick’s crown” when they take over from Adrian and Penny Wood Heyworth next week.

The Singers’ arrival on the island, brings to an end the Heyworth family’s six decades on Herm, who have decided to sell on the remaining 40 years of the lease in May because none of their children were willing to take on the responsibility of running the island once they had retired.

Speaking about his purchase, Mr Singer was keen to reassure residents on Herm that little would change. “No immediate changes are envisaged to the present facilities, and our short-term focus will be to maintain everything to the current standards of excellence,” he said.