A TAVISTOCK charity shop is celebrating reopening after nine months enforced closure due to a leaking ceiling.

Volunteer staff at the RSPCA shop gathered with banners and cut a ceremonial ribbon to mark the occasion.

The small King Street shop is still fighting off rainwater running through the ceiling of its storage room from a faulty pedestrian walkway that runs over the top to housing, but have vowed to keep serving customers after being promised a drier future.

The landlord of the homes has promised a permanent repair after 17 years of on-off faults, the latest of which failed to divert Sunday’s torrential rain. Lez Parker, Trsutee of Plymouth and South West Devon RSPCA, said: ‘It’s such a relief after all these years. We’ve been persuaded the repairs will be permanent which gives us the confidence to re-open.’

She said loyal staff had even left because they could not cope with the saga: ‘I don’t blame, them it got really stressful for everyone.’

Loyal customer Angela Smith, who has pet cats, said: ‘I’ve been coming here for a long time and really like it here. I’ve been waiting a long time for it to re-open. The staff are so friendly and helpful and it’s for a great cause.’