Building work is continuing on a RSPCA charity shop in Newark that was left severely damaged after a car crashed into the premises – and staff hope to be able to open the doors in time for Christmas.
The shop, on Albert Street, has been closed since the crash, which caused major structural damage on 7th December last year when a silver BMW careered into the store.
Building work has been taking place and major structural repairs have been completed.
However, more work needs to take place inside the building and then a major clean-up operation will be arranged.
Tracy Evans, branch manager, said: “We are waiting for the final handover from the builders to confirm all the work is complete.
“The internal shop repairs are almost finished, but stock that was inside the shop at the time of the incident will now need to be sorted to see what can be salvaged.
“To enable the emergency repairs to begin in December, stock and fittings were quickly moved into a rear room and haven’t been touched since. A major clean-up of everything is now needed.
“We are hoping to be ready in time for our busy Christmas period but we can’t be sure and we have to factor in Covid restrictions which may also hold up the opening date.
“The main thing is we will be back and we hope the public in this area continue to support us as they have in the past, and we look forward to seeing our regular customers again.”