MALVERN'S charity Christmas card shop took £17,500 this year, down from a record £26,500 in 2001.

Manager John Rowe blamed the shortfall on the move from the library, where the shop has been for many years, to the town council offices on Belle Vue Terrace

He said: "Councillors and staff were most welcoming but the council offices are not open on Tuesday nights or Satur-days, as the library is.

"There's no doubt some people who normally buy cards from us when we're at the library were not able to make it. Last year we were taking up to £1,000 on Saturdays."

The shop, which sells cards on behalf of national and local charities, was open for eight weeks in the run-up to Christmas.

It was forced to move because of a £1.5 million refurbishment at the library that was due to have started in the autumn. The refurbishment, which will provide a new contact centre for district and county councils, will now start in April 2003.

However, when it became clear the library would be available, the card shop organisers, Midlands Charities Association, had already made arrangements to move to the council offices and it was too late to change back.

Mr Rowe said he was worried the work would take up to 18 months and make the library unavailable in the run-up to Christmas 2003 and possibly the following year if the work is delayed.

Nigel Preedy, of the county's libraries management team, said the work was due to be completed in autumn 2004.