Over the recent Christmas period the Co-op store has moved from its temporary stall on the village green in to the Hurst Community Charity Shop building.

The small size of the pop-up trailer (in situ since the fire in the pet shop during the summer) has meant that it has struggled to keep up with the demands of the many residents who relied on having a supermarket on the High Street.

A Co-op spokesman explained: “The new space will enable us to stock a much better range than was possible previously - which we know our customers were asking for.”

The chair of trustees for the Community Charity Shop, Michael Barnes, explained: “We were approached some time ago by the manager of the Co-op who offered recompense for loss of earnings while it was out of use for us. As the whole raison d’etre of our existence was to help finance village community projects along with the church reordering, the trustees soon agreed to the notion, and we closed on 6th December.”

However, he is keen to stress that the shop will be open for business again in late spring.

“In the meantime we would ask that residents hold on to items until April/May when we will be able to accept donations of goods once again. Thank you.”