CHARITY workers in a North Yorkshire town are pleading with customers to bear with them - because their shop ceiling has fallen down.

Staff at St Catherine's Hospice shop, in Wheelgate, Malton, were horrified to discover the wreckage when they arrived at work on Monday.

Retail manager Sunny Stansfield said: "The reinforced concrete seems to have rusted and the whole ceiling has caved in. We have no idea how much it will cost or how long it's going to take.

"We think perhaps a thunder clap did it with the storms over the weekend - the structural engineer said it was waiting to happen and at least no one was here when it came down."

Sunny said Egton Bridge builders Ray Hare were working flat out to repair the damage.

"We will hopefully have a little shop up and running at the front by Saturday because this is one of our major earners for the hospice."

Last year the Wheelgate shop donated £50,000 towards patient care at St Catherine's.

"The longer we are closed, the less patient care money comes in," added Sunny.

Staff at the Malton branch spent last week decorating the windows for their sunflower month.

Although concrete and rubble is strewn across the floor, the two cheerful displays have been left intact.

Shop manager Jane Broadbridge said that during this week's national volunteers' week, she wanted to send a big thank you to all the helpers at the shop.

Now, as the clean-up process goes on, Sunny said the invaluable help offered by volunteers would be more crucial than ever.

Updated: 10:41 Wednesday, June 04, 2003