Two pharmacies which closed last year, leaving thousands in the lurch, are set to reopen.

The former Cheadles site in Seasalter, and Estuary View Pharmacy in Whitstable will both return, to the delight of residents.

The Cheadles plot, on the corner of Faversham Road and Macdonald Parade, is set to open next month, on Monday, June 3, having been taken on by pharmacy Tyrell & Jones.

It follows the unexpected closure in July last year after operator E-Nova Healthcare, which ran both pharmacies, entered administration.

Tyrell & Jones, who already operate a store in Tower Parade, Whitstable, confirmed the news on Facebook, with people describing the update as “marvellous”.

Rowland Cruttenden, a Seasalter resident who previously told KentOnline of his desire to see the service resurrected, expressed his delight at the news.

“This is such good news especially as bus services are being cut and are not as frequent as they used to be,” said Mr Cruttenden.

“At least if you're desperate for something, you've got a chemist close by.

“Not only is it going to be good for the prescriptions but for everyday requirements like cough medicine and things like that.”

Currently, the nearest pharmacy to Seasalter is at Tesco Extra in Milstrood Road or Boots in Whitstable High Street.

Both are more than a mile away, and the closure left many elderly residents scrambling to find alternative arrangements.

In July, Estuary View Pharmacy, in Boorman Way, also shut “until further notice”, after “unforeseen circumstances”.

Dr John Ribchester, senior and executive partner at Whitstable Medical Practice, has confirmed a new operator is in the wings.

He told KentOnline: “It’s certainly good news for patients as up until now they’ve been closed.

“We look forward to Estuary View reopening, hopefully in a few months but there’s no firm timeline yet.

“A new tenant is coming in but they are waiting to be approved by the NHS, we’re just going through the bureaucratic processes.”

Once those pharmacies reopen, there will be seven in the Whitstable area.