Village shop back in business after the floods

A village post office and stores in Cornwall, which was closed by flooding for 11 months is thriving again. The shop in Ponsanooth was badly hit by floods on Christmas Eve in 2013. Villagers rallied round to help the owners, even setting up a temporary shop in the local pub.

It was a Christmas villagers in Ponsanooth will never forget. Their post office swamped by flood water. Now three years later it's been transformed.

Michelle Firminger who runs the shop says it's all down to the community.

Villagers helped to clear damaged stock,once the flood water drained away. It had come up to four feet inside the store - hip height on Michelle. She says everything up to that point was left covered in sewage.

It took eleven months to get back in - everything had to be taken out because of the sewage.

For a short while the village pub was used to sell supplies. Then a temporary store and mobile post office was set up in the driveway of Glenys Powell's home.

Michelle not only lost her shop. She also lost her home as she lived above the store. But the villagers again rallied round. She stayed in eight different houses during the eleven months.

There is still a fear that the shop could be hit again. The parish council is calling for more flood defences on top of what has all ready been carried out.

So many hands were involved in the rebuilding of the post office that Michelle got this plaque specially made to commemorate their efforts.