Bosses at a popular city centre shop have cancelled plans to close down the business.

While the Covid-19 lockdown has dealt many blows to the high street, Third Eye in Canterbury has revealed the positive news that it will reopen on Monday - four months after it was due to close forever.

The St Peter's Street business - which sells music merchandise and records and offers body piercing and tattoos - announced at the start of the year that it was to shut for good on January 31, after 27 years in the city centre.

As those with fond memories of the long-running business expressed their sadness at the news, bosses urged customers to pay one last visit, to snap up deals in its clearance sale.

"We would like to thank you all for your custom over the years and hope you agree we did well to keep the alternative scene alive in Canterbury for as long as we did," they said.

But in a message posted to Third Eye's Facebook page yesterday, bosses revealed they have now taken a U-turn on the plans to shut.

They wrote: "For those of you suffering from lock down blues due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I have news that will cheer you up.

"It gives me great pleasure to announce that Third Eye is NOT CLOSING DOWN."

It is understood the shop will reopen under new ownership, run by a former member of staff who worked at the business for 26 years.

Posting on the store's Facebook page, they wrote: "We were definitely closing. However I have now taken over and avoided this happening."

They added that the tattoo and piercing side of the business will remain closed.

Third Eye is set to be back up and running for good from 10am on Monday - when shops have given the go-ahead to start welcoming back customers following months of closure, as the government gradually eases lockdown restrictions.

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