A Suffolk pub which was rescued from closure is among five projects to feature in a series of short films celebrating the success of developing rural services.

Film crews for The Prince’s Countryside Fund visited The Oyster Inn in Butley recently to see how its rural grant had enabled a new village shop to open in the pub garden.

Pub owner Julie Newman said she was “so grateful for the grant”.

“The village hasn’t had a shop for over 30 years and people tell us how much it means for them, particularly those without transport,” she added.

Ellie Jesson, of the Countryside Fund, said: “Last year, thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery we awarded several grants to UK communities to develop rural services as part of our Rural Four project - the Butley Oyster was one of the successful projects so we were delighted to come and see the pub and its village shop for ourselves.

“This is exactly the kind of project that we love to support, and we are keen to share the story in the hope that it may inspire other communities elsewhere.

“We were introduced to the Butley Oyster by the organisation Pub is the Hub, and that is exactly what the Oyster has become - a hub for the whole of Butley and its surrounding villages.”

The shop is open during pub hours, and customers pay for their items behind the bar, often having a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper while they are there.