The manager of a community shop in Hughenden Valley, which was forced to close last year after it was burgled and set on fire, has spoken out about her “delight” and “relief” at its opening at the weekend.

More than 500 people turned out to the opening of the Hughenden Valley Community Shop, in Coombe Lane, which was officially opened by baking legend Mary Berry, a year after callous thieves stole frozen food, sandwiches and washing powder from the shop, before setting it alight.

Manager Louise Jones, who calls the shop the “hub and heart of the village” said the past year had been a “rollercoaster” and “very stressful”, but that she was pleased her vision for the store had “come to fruition”.

She said: “It was quite devastating. It felt like it was a huge mountain to climb.

“Many elderly people could be lonely and isolated at home, and the shop gave them a place to meet others. It was a lifeline for them.

“It is really nice that seems to be happening again. You can see loads of people walking to and from the shop.”

Ms Jones said there was a “silver lining” for staff and volunteers after they were offered the former park and ride building in Cressex by Wycombe District Council, after they saw the Bucks Free Press’ extensive coverage of the incident.

However it took just under a year to transport sections of the building back to Hughenden so that the shop could be rebuilt, and Ms Jones had to go through two rounds of planning to get the relevant permissions for the new building.

Speaking about how she managed to get the Bake Off star and Penn resident on board, she said: “We stock Mary’s products and thought I would email her to see if she wanted to come along and open the shop, and she said she and her husband would be delighted to.

“She was very supportive and really lovely.

“She was shocked to hear what had happened and said she felt sad for us.”

Ms Jones said there was still “a lot to do” with the shop but she was “pleased and delighted” to be open again.

She added: “I am relieved that after a year we have managed to bring it to fruition. 

“We managed to get the help of two companies through a DIY SOS-style campaign and a team of volunteers helped us fit it. 

“It has been a huge team effort.”