A new shop owner had a welcome surprise in her first week of trading when she was asked to frame a carpet.

Sue's Gallery And Framing opened this week in Cricklade High Street. Within hours, a customer walked in carrying a carpet.

Owner Sue Ilett said: "The man just walked in and asked whether I frame unusual things.

"When I said yes, he produced a large Iranian carpet. It is quite normal to be asked to frame unusual items such as plaster casts of babies' feet or seashells, but this one was quite unique."

Sue, from Broad Hinton, is a bespoke framer with 15 years' experience. She is a member of the Fine Art Trade Guild and opened the shop in Cricklade to cope with demand.

She spends much of her time framing tapestries, photographs and undertaking conservation work taking the opportunity to give pictures an art MoT.

She said: "Many older framed items require a bit of an MoT at this time of year to clear out thunderbugs, replace discoloured mounts and replace tapes with modern conservation material."