A CRAFTY entrepreneur who set up shop in a phone box says the space is the perfect size to sell her gifts.

Claire Howard started running a craft business out of the decorative red landmark in Maldon - and is among the smallest shops in the country.

The phone box sits next to Mrs Salisburys Famous Tea Rooms in Brights Path, and shoppers have been taken aback by the transformation.

Mrs Howard, a mum of four, said: “My friend bought it as a decorative piece and I asked if I could use it to sell my crafts in.

“I love quirky things and I don’t have a lot of stock so it is ideal.

“I love London-themed things as it’s where I’m from. It’s just so perfect.”

The shop, named Call Me Crafty, has already caught the attention of residents and tourists, who have snapped photos to show their friends.

Mrs Howard, 41, said: “It’s my little passion – I have been doing craft fairs for a little while, so it’s nice to get an ideal opportunity.

“I have put a bookcase in it for shelves and hope to decorate it with London-themed fabric.”

Inside one of the country’s smallest shops, Mrs Howard is selling handmade gifts such as vases made from bottles, teacup table decorations, cushions, and sewing jars.

She said: “So many people have wished me good luck and they have said it is such an innovative idea.

“They just think it’s really sweet and people comment on it all the time.

“When people walk past it, they have to take a step back as they don’t believe it.

“I don’t suppose there’s anything like it around here.”

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