The oldest shop on a high street is set to finally reopen 18 months after an undetected water leak caused its roof to collapse.

Eldridges, a family-run drapery store in Hythe which dates back to 1741, closed last summer after £250,000 worth of stock was lost in the incident.

Staff say the leak had been flowing at the rear of the Grade II-listed building for years but no one had ever noticed.

The roof of the shop finally gave way last July, leaving owner Vanessa Hayward facing “18 months of dust, dirt, and rubble”.

“It was heartbreaking to walk into what was once my lovely shop and see it in such a state,” she said.

“We didn’t even have time to cover any stock, so we lost everything - about £250,000 worth of goods.

“The insurance company covered most of the costs but not all of it, so we have still taken a bit of a hit.”

Mrs Hayward has owned the shop for the last decade, but had already worked at the site for 26 years before that.

She describes the business as “her everything” and says she could not leave the site in its damaged state.

“Some people might have looked at it and said ‘that’s it, time to move on’, but I couldn’t do that,” she said.

“This shop is like my baby - it’s been such a huge part of my life.

“We decided to look on the positive side and use this time to refurbish the shop.

“It still has the charm of the old Eldridges, but it’s got a fresh, modern feel to it now.

“The shop has never been about money for me. It’s about the people.

“I can’t wait for moments like when little Doris walks in on a rainy day, and I can make her a cup of coffee and have a chat. That’s what it’s all about.”

Mrs Hayward was diagnosed with breast cancer on Christmas Eve in 2016 but is now free of the disease following a double mastectomy.

The 52-year-old says her husband Simon has “helped keep the family afloat” in recent years.

“We’ve managed to get through it all together,” she added.

“My daughter Kendra has also been my rock.

“It’s been a very difficult period for us as a family, but I’m so proud of how the shop has turned out.

“I’ll definitely be holding back the happy tears when those doors open again.”

The shop will be open from 9am on Saturday, November 30.