'Lovely' new independent bookshop opens in Wakefield

Hidden Treasures, in the Ridings Shopping Centre, specialises in high-quality secondhand books, vinyl records and antiques.

Owner Steven Neate says he believes his store is the only secondhand bookstore in the city.

He said: "It's a lovely little shop, we've got a good selection of good quality paperbacks.

"People are into books, and I've got hundreds. I left about 2,000 books at my old shop because they were a bit moth eaten.

"It's all newly decorated, I decorated it all myself.

"In these times now it's a bit difficult but people really are interested in good quality books and a good selection of books.

"There's a good variety, we've got biographies, music, spiritual, children's, gardening."

Steven, who previously ran Ossett Books, had initially planned to open his store in April, but was forced to push back his plans due to the UK-wide lockdown.

But he has used his extra item to focus on decorating the unit and ensuring that social distancing guidelines are clearly in place.

He said: "I was supposed to open in April but then I had to put that on hold until they lifted it for non-essential shops, so I opened on the 15th of June.

"I've got it all laid out two metres, I've got sanitiser as you come in. I only allow five people in at one time.

"I'm practising all the social distancing."