A community has been left without a shop, post office or cash machine after their village store closed suddenly.

East Anglian Daily Times: The store had a post office and the village's only cash machine Picture: LOUISE HOPESThe store had a post office and the village's only cash machine Picture: LOUISE HOPES (Image: Archant)

The convenience store in Woodland Avenue, Rendlesham shut without warning on Thursday, October 11, leaving villagers without access to a store and workers without a job.

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Meanwhile, workers have been left in the dark over their jobs.

Louise Hopes worked at the store, which was formally run as a Costcutter, for almost 10 years.

East Anglian Daily Times: The Rendlesham village store which unexpectedly closed Picture: LOUISE HOPESThe Rendlesham village store which unexpectedly closed Picture: LOUISE HOPES (Image: Archant)

She said: “We have mortgages, bills to pay and families to feed, this happening before Christmas is pretty disastrous really.

“We’ve been completely kept in the dark, we just saw the shop had closed and that was it.”

Emma Lloyd-Smith worked at the shop for two years and she said: “It’s hard – I don’t know legally where we stand.

“Thankfully my husband has a full-time job but I need to get one as quickly as possible to get Christmas presents for the kids.”

The Rendlesham store was previously run as a Costcutter but, according to the company’s main office, it left the company label back in June, 2018 and the Costcutter sign was removed from the shop.

In the past week, the community has rallied together with the Broadwalk cafe in the village now selling bread and milk to help those who relied on the shop.

Mrs Lloyd-Smith said: “Everyone is so thankful to the community for what they are doing.”

The store owner was unavailable for comment.