Counter culture: The cost of living crisis, covid and crime through the eyes of estate shopkeepers

They helped keep their customers going during lockdown, fought off burglars, robbers and the big supermarkets and are now battling the cost living crisis. Our local shopkeepers are often the unsung heroes of our communities - and over the last two years we've relied on them more than ever.

Now they're facing the twin challenge of soaring food and energy prices and are witnessing first-hand the impact that's having on their customers. Here we get the view from behind the counter....

READ MORE: 'I was born poor and it looks like I'm going to die poor': The hard reality of the cost of living crisis on the estate with a motorway in the middle

Taranjit and Manprit Randhawa, 51 and 49, own Dill's Convenience Store on Reddish Lane in Gorton

Taranjit said: "I was born in India but came to Manchester when I was three. I worked in my dad's sock factory in Longsight for 16 years, then I did 15 years for Tesco as a manager in Burnage and Didsbury.

"I got fed up working for someone else. I thought if I'm working all those hours I want to be doing it for myself. We bought this place seven years ago.

"People said 'don't move to Gorton. But we like it here. We've never had any problems. People are friendly here. You get the odd idiot who thinks they are above it all, but mostly we get on with everyone.

"Prices are going up. Milk's gone up from £1 to £1.15 recently. But customers aren't complaining too much. I think they know it's happening everywhere.

"But it's shocking how much prices are rising. We've put all our fridges on timers, so they're not on all night to try and reduce the electricity bills.

"We only buy milk that we know we'll sell that day, so it's not in the fridge overnight. You see customers coming in more regularly