A WOMAN whose charity shop rent trebled overnight has bounced back by opening two new shops.

Kathleen Ramsden ran the bargain basement shop in Church Street, Accrington, selling furniture and household goods and donating the proceeds to Blackburn's Nightsafe charity.

Mrs Ramsden had been in the shop since last year, but last month her landlord increased her rent from £60 a week to £175 and gave her two weeks to decide whether she wanted to stay.

Now the enterprising 70-year-old has opened two new shops, in Whalley Road, Accrington, and Barnes Square, Clayton-le-Moors.

The combined rents for the two premises is less than her previous landlord wanted for the dimly-lit basement - £75 and £45 a week respectively.

Mrs Ramsden runs the enterprise single-handedly, paying for vans to pick up and deliver furniture to needy people.

She says she has not been able to access goods still in the Church Street shop because landlord Mr Guhhan Goulin has piled stuff of his own on top of it.

"It will take me days to get into my stuff. I thought I would get it out this week but I can't get at it."

Mr Goulin said the arrangement had only ever been temporary and that it was no longer financially viable. Mrs Ramsden could collect her stock any time she wanted to.

"I have always helped her from day one. She's pleased now and we will help her in the future if we have any stuff to give away."

The basement would be used as a stockroom, he said.

Mrs Ramsden said: "I'm very happy now, people have been so helpful. As long as I can cover the rent and have something left over to give to Nightsafe that's all I'm bothered about."

Linda Sharratt, resettlement officer for Nightsafe, said: "She's very enterprising. You can't keep Kathleen down. I'm really pleased it's all worked out for her."