The owner of an animal sanctuary has opened a charity shop in Mile Cross to fundraise towards helping to feed the 700 animals they care for.

Lyz Hall, who runs Hallswood animal sanctuary in Stratton Strawless, has taken over an empty unit at a shopping square off Drayton Road.

She previously ran the sanctuary with her late husband, Keith Hall, pictured, who died two years ago, and the sanctuary has cared for sick and injured wildlife on the site for more than 12 years.

She said: 'There's an easy answer why I opened the shop. The sanctuary can continue how it is or it can improve.

'We are still here, which is something in itself in this recession, but we want to offer better facilities in the future. I want a nicer cattery/kennel.

'One of my biggest plans is to create a full-on wildlife environment where our animals can recuperate, but it costs �1,500 just for the fence for that.

'There's so much I want to do and, hopefully, I'll still be doing this in 50 years' time.'

The 32-year-old admitted that it had been hard work running the sanctuary without her late husband.

She said: 'Part of the reason why it's been so hard is that we live in a society that still expects a man to be the head of an organisation like ours, and I'm a 32-year-old woman, so my age sometimes goes against me.'

Mrs Hall's arrival at the shopping square means that all of its units are now occupied, which businesses were calling for earlier in the year. Three shops at the square were previously empty, but Margaret Emms Florists and Emma's Unisex Hair Salon have recently moved in, and now Hallswood has taken over the former Ansa domestic appliance shop.

Other shops in the square include Drayton Road Post Office and Lowthorpes newsagents.

The square has also benefited from the addition of a cash machine outside the post office and CCTV cameras have also been installed.

The new charity shop needs volunteers to help out and more stock to sell.

If you can help, call the shop on 01603 927465.

Have you got an animal-related story for the Evening News? Call reporter David Bale on 01603 772427 or email david.bale2@archant.co.uk