A shopkeeper in the Saints said he thanked the chancellor for keeping his whole street in business throughout the pandemic.

Antonio Bellini, who runs the Italian Shirt Shop in St Peter's Street, spoke to Rishi Sunak when the chancellor came to Suffolk's county town to meet small business leaders.

He said: "He was very nice and very polite.

"I thanked him for the support, we were given over lockdown and said that due to the support that was given by the government, we were able to stay open, which means we have full occupancy on the road.

"Had we not had the support, I for one would have been closed because I wouldn't have been able to afford to continue.

"He was dashing from shop to shop so there was very little time to ask him any questions."