THE Whitefield owner of one of Bolton's oldest independent clothing store has found a way to continue opening for business -- a week after its town centre building was wrecked by a bus.

Hilary Ann White will move her women's fashion store into empty premises in The Market Place over the next few days.

And on Tuesday, she is planning to reopen in the former DB3 and Morgan shops, by the Knowsley Street entrance in the Lower Mall, as "Hilary Ann" once more.

"It's been devastating, but I'm determined to fight back," said Hilary, who has been in business for 39 years and whose ebullient style of retailing has made her well-known.

The front of her newly-refurbished Deansgate store was wrecked by a single-decker bus just an hour and a half before the shop was due to open.

"I'm just grateful that no-one was killed," added Hilary, who lives in Whitefield. "I managed to keep going at first, sorting things out. The shock just seemed to hit me later."

"I've taken out a six-month lease because I understand it will take quite a while to repair the building," she said.

Now, however, she and her staff face the prospect of having to move around 10,000 garments into the new premises in time to resume trading on Tuesday morning.

Hilary is quick to admit, however, that her misfortune might well prove lucky for her customers.

"I've got to have a salvage sale to sell off some of my stock so it will be like the January sales come early," she added, laughing.