START-UP businesses will soon be testing their wares on shoppers in Wantage in a new pop-up shop.

The “Flashop” in Mill Street, opening in the next few weeks, is part of a programme from Town Team co-ordinators Iain Nicholson and Mim Norvell to boost the local economy.

Funded with £22,500 by Vale of White Horse District Council, one of their tasks was to fill empty shops in the town.

Since March 1, the number of empty units in Wantage has gone down from 23 to 15.

Flashop will give businesses that have not traded on the high street before a chance to test products.

Mr Nicholson hopes that if they are successful, they might decide to rent one of the remaining empty units in the town.

He said: “This will be a real boost to our plans to revitalise Mill Street and add to the shopping offer of Wantage town centre as a whole.”

The Town Team was contacted by 21 local businesses interested in the shop, including businesses already running shops in the town, online operations and would-be start-ups, covering sectors from baby and toddler clothing, through wine merchants and food, to retro gifts.

Ten businesses will get a slot in the pop-up shop over the first three months.