CUSTOMERS at The Co-operative in Sale are being offered a free bus service to its nearby store in Timperley while repairs are underway at its Maple Road outlet.

The Co-operative in Maple Road is currently closed following an attempted raid last month, which caused extensive damage to the store. The shop is expected to re-open before Christmas.

The free bus service is initially scheduled to operate from Maple Road at 10am and 1pm on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays to the Stockport Road store in Timperley, where it will wait to bring shoppers back.

A staff member will also be on board to help elderly people with their shopping, and more journeys may be added if there is sufficient demand.

Briege Ashley, The Co-operative Food’s operations manager for the area, said: “We are working hard to get the Maple Road store up and running as soon as we possibly can.

“Until then, we have launched a free bus service to ensure our customers can meet all their shopping needs at our nearby store.

“As a community retailer it was vital we support local residents while their store is out of action. We would like to thank our loyal customers for their patience, and to also apologise for any inconvenience while their store is being repaired.”