AT a time when high street stores have seen a slump of up to 20 per cent in sales, the RSPCA shop in Whittlesey has bucked the trend. Sales at the shop in Lovell s Court have steadily climbed this year to a point where income is routinely more than £800 a

AT a time when high street stores have seen a slump of up to 20 per cent in sales, the RSPCA shop in Whittlesey has bucked the trend.

Sales at the shop in Lovell's Court have steadily climbed this year to a point where income is routinely more than £800 a week.

The week ending July 1 also saw the shop bank a record £1,216.42, with the coffers swelled that week by a £237 donation from a tree surgeon who sells bags of kindling from her narrowboat every summer.

Heather Bishop, manager at the shop, said: "We are only a small shop so I think we have done extremely well. I am surprised myself as to how well it is going. We had a very good Christmas period and it has just expanded from there."

The shop, which has been open nearly 20 years, sells clothes, bric-a-brac, CDs, videos, DVDs, books and jewellery.

There are a total of 13 volunteers, who take it in turns to help at the shop which is open between 9am-4pm every Monday-Saturday.