A businesswoman has thanked her customers for their support after a tumultuous first year running a shoe shop.

Teresa Hutchinson took over Soles with Heart in Swan Street, West Malling, last September following a career change after working in the hospitality industry in the town.

Uncertainty over Brexit and the election overshadowed her first months in charge, but then the pandemic struck and forced her to shut her doors to customers as the country went into lockdown.

Now she is staging a prize draw to mark the first anniversary of taking over the business and thank her customers for keeping the shop going in such difficult times.

She said: "I took over the business last September, and what with Brexit, the election and then Covid, it's been a testing year.

"When we went into lockdown my only member of staff was furloughed, and I stayed to do online and doorstep fittings, it was a very difficult and challenging 14 weeks.

"Now we have reopening and we are having to stand behind screens measuring feet, it's just a different world and not what we are used to."

"I want to say a big thank you to all our customers..."

Despite the challenges thrown up by the pandemic, Teresa says some changes have worked really well and could be here to stay even when life eventually returns to something closer to normality.

"Back to school is the busiest time of the year," she said.

"And this year we had to bring in appointments for customers, and actually they preferred having the shop to themselves.

"It did work, and I think next year we are going to do the same for back to school, so not everything has been negative."

However, all the back to school rush provided a much needed boost post-lockdown, other trends in the age of coronavirus are hitting sales.

There has been a noticeable decline in sales of women's footwear, as more people are working from home and not needing to dress for the office.

Teresa said: "I want to say a big thank you to all our customers and, to give a little bit back, anyone who comes in October will be entered in a draw to win a £75 voucher."

Head to our business page for all of the latest news about businesses in Kent.

Read more: All the latest news from Malling