Shoe shop manager Sharon Hammond has been named the best in the country by her bosses.

She has been running Stead and Simpson's Cromer shop since 2004 after a career in retail which began as a Saturday girl at Woolworths in her home town Sheringham.

Mother-of-two Mrs Hammond, 34, said she was amazed to be presented with the award at the head office Christmas party in Leicester as her Church Street shop was up against 300 other stores, many of them bigger outlets in city settings.

'I was delighted because we are only in little old Cromer,' she explained.

The award recognised the sales and standards of the store, which employs eight full and part time staff. It included ensuring it was clean, tidy, with updated promotions - which changed more often during the recession as the stores sought to attract trade.

Hers is the first name on the trophy presented by the Tyler Group which also runs the Shoezone stores.

Mrs Hammond began her retail career as a four hour Saturday girl at Sheringham Woolworths and progressed through the ranks to entertainments manager, assistant manager and had her first managership at Fakenham. She worked in branhces in Sheringham, North Walsham, Witham in Essex and North Walsham, before switching to Stead and Simpsons six years go.