Station Florist Forced To Close Down

Tue, 03 Feb 2009

A florist says has hit out at the Network Rail organisation over their decision to evict her from her stall outside a London train station.

Lisa Sanders, 37, was one of four business owners given six months' notice to shut up shop outside Highbury and Islington station to make way for a new Olympic rail project, in a letter from Network Rail last week.

Ms Sanders, who has run Sanders and Co florists since 2001, will be forced to close her flower shop once work begins on refurbishing the station as part of the East London Line extension in July.

She slammed: "They've ripped my business away... I feel robbed blind. I've got three staff and I've got no idea what I'm going to do."

"There's been a flower stall here for 40 years and I've been here for seven... It's my life."

She added that her business will be further affected by rail body’s decision to close the Victoria line it on Valentines Day and Mothers Day .

A Network Rail spokesman said "minor works" to Highbury and Islington station would take around 18 months to complete.

He added: "The four current tenants have notice periods on their leases varying from one month to three months to six months, however we have decided to give them all a little over six months notification."

"They will be welcome to tender for the leases once we have completed minor works on the site later in the year."
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