A VINTAGE shop sign is back outside the Great Malvern branch of W H Smith thanks to the family of a woman who once worked there.

The painted wooden sign was removed from the frontage of the Belle Vue Terrace shop during a makeover in the 1970s.

The traditional sign shows an old-fashioned newsboy with a tray of newspapers and books against a red background.

It has been given a new lease of life after being given back to the shop by the family of the late Mrs Peggy Gillam, who used to work at W H Smith.

Spencer Gillam, Mrs Gillam's son, said: "My mother worked at the shop for about 15 years and at one stage they were redoing the shop front."

The sign and its wrought-iron bracket were thrown in a skip but before they could be hauled away Mrs Gillam rescued them. The items stayed in the family until Mrs Gillam died last year, after which her son contacted W H Smith to ask if there was any possibility of restoring it to the shop front.

"W H Smith were very nice about it and said they would see what they could do," said Mr Gillam.

The company restored the sign to its rightful place outside the shop two weeks ago.

"It's quite a thrill for the family to see the sign up," said Mr Gillam.