An eco-friendly business has seen sales slow as people can't afford to buy its higher ticket items as the cost of living continues to rise.

Dartford retailer Louise Potter, who runs the craft store Potter and Hare Eco Living, is worried customers will not continue to shop with her as the products are typically more expensive.

Louise Potter talks on how the increasing costs is affecting her shop

She said: "I am in touch with a lot of small businesses and everyone is very worried. I am worried but personally as of yet I have not seen too much of a loss in sales.

"April was a bit slow but that is understandable, the beginning of the year is slow and then it picks up.

"I have thought about it and the things like [paper] eco-tape, the more expensive side of the household items have taken a bit of a hit. And at the markets I go to.

"Sales are good for me at the moment. It is not booming, I am not going to be buying a yacht or anything but I have not seen a drastic drop just yet."

The small store in Horton Kirby sells household items such as re-usable bowl covers and beeswax wraps and other eco-conscious items like shampoo and conditioner and gift wrap.

Although her sales are still consistent with last year, Louise says she is is now starting to see her higher-end products slow, and expects that will soon happen to her other goods.

The online retailer believes people will be forced to become less eco-conscious generally because they cannot afford to be as the cost of living increases.

She explained: "The eco-tapes can be £7. Nobody is going to pay that for a tape, some people are but when you can buy five plastic-based, sticky tapes from the pound shop for a pound, if money is tight which ones are you going for.

"I can absolutely see people will not have money and perhaps although they would like to buy the eco-friendly option it just will not be plausible and that is a worry. Not just for me financially but for eco-businesses, what we are tying to achieve and what we want to get people to think about.

"Eco is more expensive because of natural products and it is not so mass produced. People may not have the amount of money to make that choice."

The price of raw materials are also going up meaning her costs have doubled, in turn meaning she may eventually have to charge more for her products.

"It will definitely impact on us and what we can and cannot afford and what we seriously need to think about with cutbacks," she added.

The Office for National Statistics said inflation rose to 9% in the year to April, up from 7% in March and is now sitting at a 40-year high.

Louise is not the only business owner to take the hit of the spiralling cost of living and inflation.

A Walderslade woman was forced to shut down her dream tea rooms after seeing her bills rise almost £1,000 in just three months.