AN Exmoor village faced with losing its only general store has been handed a lifeline after the local pub stepped in to keep the tills ringing. Winsford Stores will close its doors for the last time on September 27 after competition from the internet and other shops in the area forced owners Jenny and Paul Lawson to call time on the business. But at a meeting in the village on Monday, attended by around 100 people, Mark and Sally Bradley, who run the Royal Oak in Winsford, confirmed they would be converting part of the pub into a village shop. The Oak Shop will open on September 29, from 8.30am to 12.30pm Monday to Saturday, offering newspapers, milk and dairy products, bread and some frozen products. It will also have an off-licence with alcohol and tobacco products and, vitally, the prescription service current offered by Winsford Stores will continue, along with the outreach Post Office on Tuesdays and Fridays. And the Bradleys also intend to open a coffee shop. The couple said they had taken the decision to step in after careful consideration of the far reaching implications of Winsford not having a shop. "We have a lot of work to do reorganising our restaurant and breakfast rooms in order to create the shop," they said. "We are sorry that Paul and Jenny are unable to continue with Winsford Stores but we fully understand and empathise with their position." Mrs Lawson told the Free Press that she and her husband had taken the decision to retire over the past year. She said the business had been up for sale for the past four years but had failed to find a buyer. "Sales have been declining - we can't compete with the internet and some of the bigger shops nearby. "We do a 60-hour week and we've been using our pensions to sustain the business over the winter months. "We've just reached a point where we cannot continue." Mrs Lawson said a survey had shown that 61 per cent of people in the village never used the shop and 38 per cent of those who did only bought milk and newspapers. "We've tried everything to increase business over the years but it's very hard. "We've thoroughly enjoyed running the business and out decision to close is tinged with sadness - but also with relief. "We are looking forward to being able to see more of our grandchildren and take a holiday."