When Manish Patel and his family delivered a special sweet treat to more than 1,000 villagers, many were moved to tears, and one lady responded with a unique thank you.

Joan Hennessy let her fingers do the talking by making up a one-off gold lame mouth and nose covering just for Shotley postmaster Manish, which he gratefully received.

Shotley Gate grandmother Joan has been making face coverings for month during lockdown and once the NHS were fully stocked she turned to turning them out for the public.

Some are available at Shotley stores, with a suggested donation of £2 which goes towards St Mary's Church fund.

"I could not believe the present and the message Manish and his family sent to all of us, it was a wonderful gesture," said Joan. "Saying thank you just didn't seem enough so I thought I would do this for him."

Manish ignored the gentle ribbing from his staff to swap his usual visor for the mask and said: "It was lovely thing for Joan to do. I love the colour and the gesture, and I will wear it with pride when it is practical to do so."

Shotley Premier Stores and Post Office are the reigning Babergh Community Business of the Year and Manish and his family stunned villagers last month as they celebrated 25 years serving Shotley by handing out Diwali sweets along with a personalised message to every household. Full story here...