BROUGHTON Village Store will pull down its shutters for the final time next month when its owner retires.

Rani Jolly this week announced her plan to close the shop on March 15, having been proprietor since November 2014.

Originally from California, Mrs Jolly bought the premises when the previous owner decided to sell up, amid local fears that the village would be left without a shop. Having turned 70 last November, she said now felt like the right time to step back.

She told the Peeblesshire News: “My decision is mainly motivated by a desire to retire. I’ve worked in finance for a long time.

“I’ve had good memories from my time with the shop, and in Scotland in a broader sense. My husband and I have been regular visitors here for 40 years, having bought a holiday home six years ago. We think it’s a magical place, and I have to admit, I truly loved the shop straight away.

“The last owner was selling, and he approached me and believed it was the right time to buy. I said that I knew little about how to run a shop along with having no experience in retail, but I had an excellent manager in May Fraser.

“I understood how important the shop was for the local community, so I decided to take it on and run the financial side of things.”

The shop is the only one of its kind in Broughton, with the nearest alternatives being located in Peebles and Biggar – 12 and five miles away respectively.

Mrs Jolly plans to decide the future of the premises in the coming months.