A CHARITY shop in Gwent which has raised more than £2 million towards cancer research over the past 30 years will not re-open, it has been announced.

As shops begin to re-open across the country, Cancer Research UK has announced its store in Blackwood High Street will close for good.

The shop first opened in 1990 and has raised £2.019 million over the past three decades.

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Area trading manager, Helen Evans, said: "We’ve had some of the most amazing staff and volunteers in the Blackwood shop and they have done a fantastic job over the years.

“I want to say a huge thank you to each and every one of them.

“All our Blackwood customers are very welcome at the Cwmbran store which is in a great location and sells high quality items with all profits going to Cancer Research UK.

“Now, more than ever, we need to raise as much money as possible to fund life-saving research and that means investing our resources in a way that maximises profit, awareness and supporter engagement. With this in mind, I sincerely hope our customers will continue to support the charity and visit our other shops in the wider area.”

The charity currently funds around 50 per cent of all cancer research in the UK, but has said it is expecting to see its income decline by up to 30 per cent in the next finanvial year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The closest Cancer Research UK shop is in the Cwmbran Centre.