VILLAGERS will lose their village shop in Upper Chute after it was forced to close due to a lack of support this week.

Sue Moller, who has been running the shop since October as well as the Cross Keys Inn and the post office, can no longer afford to subsidise the shop without the support of villagers.

She issued three letters of warning in the parish magazine the Chute Chronicle, but did not see an increase in customers.

Three part-time staff have lost their jobs and users of the facility will now have to travel nearly four miles to Ludgershall for most of their shopping.

Sue Moller said: "I've had to close the shop because it was being subsidised by the pub.

"It's part of the village and it's very sad, but I warned people that if they didn't use the shop more it would have to close.

"The people who took notice of that and use it more than anyone are the kids, so I'll be keeping their sweeties. "We'll have eggs, milk, butter and stuff we can provide from the pub. Things like ham and cheese - if we've got it in our kitchen we'll sell it to them, but as far as anything else is concerned they'll have to go to the supermarket.

"It's a shame for the staff who've had to go. They've been fantastic.

"I've tried really hard to keep it open.

"I've been subsidising it from the pub through a difficult winter and I just can't afford to subsidise it any more.

"It's a false economy. And I have said use us or lose us. Even if a quarter of villagers in the Chutes spent £5 a week, that would have kept us going. That's all it needs.

"We've tried really hard to keep it open, but people haven't bothered to support us."

She puts many of the problems down to well-off 'weekenders' in the Chutes who don't use village amenities.

She will continue to serve in the shop during post office opening hours between 10am and 2pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Certain items will also be available from the Cross Keys Inn.