AN East Cleveland village is to have its own store again - thanks to a local pub landlord.

Skelton Green's last shop closed a year ago, and since then residents, many of whom are elderly, have had to make a near one-mile journey up and down a steep hill to Skelton High Street for their daily essentials.

A few years ago the village boasted a butcher's; a small self-service grocery store; a post office and a newsagents. All these have gone.

But now Paul Gills, who runs one of the two surviving village pubs, the Miners Arms, has opened a small shop in the pub car park.

The Woolyback Cabin, as it will be called, will sell basic groceries and newspapers. It will be open Monday to Saturday from 8am to noon and 4-8pm. It will also be open on Sundays.

Mr Gills said: "I see what I'm doing as a way of redressing the balance. "The community always deserved better. It hasn't been well-served in the past and I want to remedy that."

Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP, Ashok Kumar, and Radio Cleveland presenter Stewart McFarlane were due to attend the official opening of the shop this morning.

Dr Kumar said: "I'm really pleased to see home-grown enterprise returning to our villages. I'm also glad that Paul will be making a point of using local sources, for much of the goods he will be selling from both local farmers and food processors.

"He is a man of vision."

Mr McFarlane said "I'm delighted to see that free enterprise is alive and well in Skelton Green, and I wish Paul well in his new venture, which know will go from strength to strength.

"I will certainly be supporting him."