TWO charity shops which closed at the start of the pandemic in March will not be reopening.

St Leonard’s Hospice said its shops in Pocklington and Sherburn-in-Elmet had to shut because of ongoing restrictions and social distancing rules.

Retail manager Helen Moreton said:“The shops are so small that safe social distancing would be impossible and we need to ensure the safety of both our shop teams and customers in the current climate.”

She said there had been no redundancies, with staff redeployed to St Leonards’ other 12 shops.

"The hospice still plans to have presence in both areas and is currently looking for alternative premises for supporters to both shop and donate in," she said.

“We have been trading in Pocklington since 1993 and Sherburn since 2014. We have thoroughly enjoyed being part of both communities and want to thank all the fantastic customers who have supported us over the years.We still have ambitious growth plans but we require larger trading premises in order to generate income for the hospice.”

The hospice's other shops, including ones in York's Broadway, Colliergate, Fossgate, Scarcroft Road and Tang Hall, and Acomb, Easingwold and Haxby have reopened.