The Co-op branch in Stevenage’s Symonds Green is hoping to reopen on Tuesday after serious flooding has forced the store to close for nearly two months.

Private construction of 22 second-floor apartments left the store exposed to high rainfall during September and October.

Water seeped through tarpaulin and other flood protection measures, causing serious damage to electrical equipment and produce.

Branch manager Chris Newbitt said that next week's reopening "does depend on what happens with the weather over the weekend", but confirmed that "this is the closest we've got to opening so far."

The store has faced a number of setbacks in its efforts to reopen, with the previous opening date - last Sunday - pushed back a further week and a half.

Since the store was forced to close in the final week of September, residents have also gone without convenient access to a local post office service - a problem exacerbated by the closure of the Waitrose facility in Old Town last month.