The shop will help maintain the village Memorial Hall

The 100-year-old shop and post office in Middleton Tyas near Richmond closed last year leaving residents with a three mile trip to the nearest shop.

But a village co-operative will reopen the shop on Friday with the post office housed in a nearby building.

It will be staffed by three part-time managers and a team of unpaid volunteers from the 700 villagers.

The trustees of the village Memorial Hall offered a 10-year lease to run the general store, newsagent and licence shop from there.

Sarah Lees, of Co-operative Action, and organisation that helps set-up community co-operatives, said: "This is a village owning and running its own business for the benefit of the community.

"It doesn't get much more co-operative than that."