A BRAVE attempt to buck the trend of rural shop closures has failed after less than five months.

Neil Allam and Michaela Edge opened a farm produce store at an empty shop in a village near Winchester.

But Wheys and Wellies which opened in December in New Cheriton closed late last month.

Neil, a watercress farmer, said: "We just weren't making enough money. It is a bit of a shame but never mind.

"The idea of us having a farm shop in the Winchester area is not dead. The problem in New Cheriton was location. No one had anywhere to park.

"If we were somewhere like Alresford you have a constant flow of people. So even if only one in ten come in that is still enough. Our problem was some days we would only get two people in."

The shop opened just before Christmas selling local produce including cheese made by Michaela.

The Norbury Blue cheese is still being produced from Michaela's father's farm near Dorking, Surrey. It is one of only two unpasteurised vegetarian blue cheeses in England.