A NEW optician has opened in the heart of Warminster after securing a funding package from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.

Rob Hopwood, from Devizes, has opened his second Boots Opticians franchise in Market Place to meet the demand for additional services such as hearing exams.

Mr Hopwood agreed a hire purchase facility from Lloyds Bank’s Commercial Finance team to buy new equipment including visual field screeners, retinal camera and auriscopes for hearing exams, which will take place in a custom-built hearing station.

He said: “The opening of the larger second store just shows how much we’ve grown in five years.

“Thanks to the funding from Lloyds Bank, we’ve also been able to increase our range of services and introduce hearing tests, which we were not able to offer previously due to lack of space.

“We’re hoping to keep growing the business by delivering excellent customer care to our patients and further establish our reputation in Wiltshire and the continued support from the bank will help us to achieve this.”

Mr Hopwood’s business has an annual turnover of £500,000 and employs eight members of staff. He has now created five new jobs at the new premises.