MORE than 400 villagers have collectively raised £52,000 to safeguard the future of their only local shop and post office.

Residents in Huby and Sutton-on-the-Forest, near York, rallied together in March in a bid to raise £40,000 to buy Huby Village Shop through a Community Benefit Society.

The village store and post office had been owned by husband and wife team David and Lesley Barker for more than 26 years, however when Mrs Barker died last September, Mr Barker decided it was time to retire.

A surge of support to save the shop came forward, and within weeks 420 people from Huby and Sutton raised more than £52,000 though a community shares and bonds prospectus.

Sutton Community Shop ltd has now been set up as a not-for-profit company, chaired by businesswoman Denise Howard.

The company has taken over running the village store and post office, renaming it Barkers of Huby in tribute to its former owners.

Mrs Howard said: "David, his daughters and grand-children still live in the village, and re-naming the shop Barkers of Huby was a nice way of recognising the 26 years of service to the village by David and Lesley."

More than 100 shareholders met for a celebration outside the shop to mark the takeover, with a group photograph, cake cutting and a surprise presentation to Mr Barker on behalf of all the villagers.