When North Bradley Service Station opened at the end of February this year, little did they know what was just around the corner.

After a fantastic opening, business was brisk, all was going well and then the global pandemic hit.

But operations director Tom Orford understands that due to them being an essential service they were luckier than most businesses in the fact they could remain open during lockdown.

He said: “The pandemic was obviously not in our business plan, but we navigated our way through it and each day it is getting busier.

"I could not have been happier with how the entire team handled the situation, especially considering we had only been trading less than a month.

"They really pulled together, supported each other, and provided a positive experience for our customers throughout lockdown.

"They should be very proud of themselves, like all the other key workers who kept the country going during unprecedented times”.

As well as the Shell fuel station which helped to keep key workers on the road during lockdown, the site also has a Budgens convenience store.

Its Greggs drive-through, which like other cafes and restaurants was closed for some time, re-opened in June.

Other services include a Karcher Valeting Centre, a Costa Coffee outlet and an Amazon and Hermes Drop-off and Collection service.