A record year of sales for the Seaton and Beer District branch of the RNLI has secured the group a place in the charity’s top shops in the country.

The group announced at its annual general meeting that the Jubilee Gardens hut in Beer was the 45th best shop in the whole of the UK.

Throughout 2015, volunteers made £39,698 during the six months it was open - its highest total to date.

Branch secretary Wendy Cummins said: “We are very proud and delighted to be so high in the table of retail shop and branch sales. It is also an excellent result as we are only open for six months of the year.

“We did so well as we have an excellent team of shop volunteers and co-ordinators.”

The branch also raised more than £1,800 by selling their wares at events around the area.

The shop opens from the end of March until the start of November, but is closed during bad weather.

Wendy said: “Out of a possible 217 days we could have opened the shop, between the end of March to the beginning of November, we only closed for 17 full days. Eight-and-a-half of those were due to bad weather.”

The store will reopen on Sunday, between 10.30am and 4.30pm, weather depending.

Wendy added that the facility had added a debit/credit card machine and a number of new ranges.

During its annual general meeting, members listened to a presentation from Nick Marks, the lifeboat operations manager at Lyme Regis Lifeboat Station.

Mr Marks told the branch about the history of the lifeboat station and that its current lifeboat, Spirit of Loch Fyne, can go from Lyme Regis to Beer in 11 minutes.

The branch is still on the lookout for new volunteers to help at the shop and assist with fundraising.

For more information, call 01297 23040 or email wac500@hotmail. co.uk.