Kingston charity shops have finally been allowed to re-open today in accordance with the government's ongoing easing of lockdown restrictions.

During lockdown the shops have been closed and unable to accept donations, leading to bags of clothes occasionally being left outside the stores.

Princess Alice Hospice, which has 45 shops across the country, described the past year as incredibly hard.

This is due to only 24% of their income being from NHS sources, with much of the rest coming from their high street stores.

Now the charity has said it is "extremely excited to be opening our doors and welcoming back all our loyal customers" and their busy Clarence Street store today was a testament to this.

A spokesperson for the charity said: "The past year has been difficult for the High Street in general, but for Princess Alice Hospice it has been incredibly hard as we rely so much on our supporters, including visitors to our shops.

"However, we're extremely excited to be opening our doors and welcoming back all our loyal customers.

"Get down to your local Princess Alice Hospice shop and grab yourself a bargain."

Princess Alice Hospice has two branches in Kingston, on 2 Clarence street and 34 Old London Road.

For opening hours see the charity's website HERE