The Oxfam bookshop in Deal High Street is reopening at the end of this week after closing for remedial works in January.

The shop, which sells books to raise money for the aid and development charity, was forced to close at the start of the year when the building was deemed unsafe.

Shop manager Janine Duncan said: “We had an upper floor start to collapse so we’ve had to have the whole floor rebuilt to make it safe for customers.

“We had 24 hours notice after we were told we couldn’t keep the shop open due to health and safety. We kept thinking it would be open in a month or so.”

She explained that the middle section of the building was 300 years old and the Victorian part was added later.

She added that when it was originally converted into a shop in the 1940s or 1950s, part of the main support was taken out which over time made the property unstable.

The site was a wine merchant’s shop more than 100 years ago, and after many transformations it was taken over by Oxfam in the 1970s.

The work has taken several months as Oxfam ensured the work was done ethically and using a local firm so that it benefited the Kent economy.

Now it has been completed and the shelves were restocked on Tuesday with an expected reopening on Saturday.

Ms Duncan said: “We really need donations again. We are really low.

“I think people will have to bear with us for a few weeks while we build our stocks back up again.”

Oxfam is also on the look-out for volunteers to work in the shop. No experience is needed as training can be provided.

Ms Duncan said she was looking for someone who is reliable and who can help with the reopening.

She said: “It’s a really nice, happy team. We have fun as well as getting the job done and it’s just a nice atmosphere.”

As well as books, there will also be a new addition of fair trade tea and coffee on sale.