A flooded-out east Suffolk shoe business is hoping to be able to reopen in a few months after the owners initially feared they may have to close.

Donna and Dave Hammond have started emptying the premises of Castle Shoes, in Albert Place in Framlingham, of damaged stock, which was covered in mould and sewage after toilets overflowed during Storm Babet on October 20.

In November, the EADT reported how the owners of the independent shoe store were facing losing £60,000 worth of goods and said the damage might be the "final straw" for them and may lead to closure.

However, earlier this week Mrs Hammond said the process of clearing the shop was underway in preparation for the building to be assessed for the required restoration work, before mould treatment begins.

On social media, she said: "The process of emptying the shop of damaged stock continues slowly. It is heart-breaking to see all our lovely shoes being disposed off, but at least they are going to a recycling centre and not straight to landfill.

"Once the shop is clear, the building can be assessed for the required restoration work. The mould treatment will take about three weeks to complete, before any physical work can commence. The work to restore the shop is estimated to take at least six months."

READ MORE: Meeting in Framlingham to discuss Storm Babet response

About 120 people attended a meeting last week to discuss the situation with the flooding in the town associated with Storm Babet, which affected more than 70 homeowners.

The information gathering session featured a panel of representatives from Suffolk County Council, the Environment Agency and conservation charity, the Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

Flooding consultant Leigh Parratt is set to use the information gleaned from the attendees to write a report for Framlingham Town Council detailing how the flood unfolded to feed into future measures to prevent a repeat of the incident.

READ MORE: Framlingham news

The meeting was also attended by Nick Corke, chief executive of Framlingham charity Hour Community, which has started an appeal to raise money for people flooded out by the storm that has so far raised £30,000.

He said: "It was a very fruitful two to two and a half hour meeting. We had about 120 people there and it was very much an information gathering meeting.

"I think the whole team is incredibly grateful to the fact that the Environment Agency, Suffolk County Council and Suffolk Wildlife Trust all turned out on a Sunday afternoon."