A CAMPAIGN to bring the village shop and post office back to Croft is within touching distance of success after a public meeting - but more help is still needed.

More than £125,000 has now been pledged from investors, who are bidding to reopen the former store in Lord Street.

Pledges rolled in following a packed meeting at Croft Memorial Hall last week, leaving the fledgling venture just £25,000 short of its £150,000 target.

The potential return for investors could be as high as seven per cent.

Until recently the project has been a co-operative, but it has now been decided that a limited company should be formed, so that the profits can be paid out more easily to shareholders.

While the overall cost of the project is estimated at £260,000, the remainder could be raised through a mortgage and grant aid.

Retired businessman Gordon Simpson, who is leading the bid, said: "If there is anyone out there who wants to invest, they can still get in touch with me to find out more."

A number of options are open to the investors. For example, costs could be saved by renting out one of the properties above the store as a flat, and letting the other for office use.

Already a guardian committee has been formed, to protect the interests of investors. Mr Simpson and those helping him with the scheme are all unpaid.

Officials from the committee have stressed that if a genuine shopkeeper bought the property, with the intention of reopening it as a store and post office, the venture would be disbanded and would not offer any competition.