The Fabric Shop suffered such extensive damage in last year's fire that wrecked neighbouring Redd club that owners Peter and Rosemary Muzio were forced to close.

Rosemary has rented a shop next to the Lidl store in the Martlets, Burgess Hill, and re-opened on Monday with customers waiting to see her after reading exclusively in last week's Mid Sussex Times that she was about to be back in business in Burgess Hill.

Rosemary said: "We have been very busy. People were telling us 'thank goodness you are back'.

"They had to go to our other stores at Horsham or Hove or look elsewhere.

"Customers commented and said they'd seen in the paper (the Mid Sussex Times) we were going to re-open.

"It's always a concern when you invest all this money. You never know what the reaction might be, especially in this recession."

Mrs Muzio kept on all her seven staff during the closure, finding them work at her other stores while she concluded a deal on the new premises.
Other premises hit by the Redd blaze are still shut. Arson was confirmed as the cause but no-one has since been charged.