Kings Hill residents who are looking for that perfect card and gift will now be able to find it on their doorstep.

A new shop, Kardz, has just opened in Liberty Square selling handmade cards, glassware and a range of gifts. Its owner is Victoria Calcott who moved to Kings Hill with her parents a year ago.

³We moved to Kings Hill from Bexleyheath and love living here ­ but the problem was my mother used to drive all the way back to Bexleyheath to buy cards because she couldn¹t find the exact style of card she was looking for on her doorstep² she said.

³So when we discovered that there was a vacant shop in Liberty Square we jumped at the chance to open our own card shop selling the sort of things that we like. We want to offer things which are not readily available elsewhere and I have spent a great deal of time sourcing a good selection of unusual cards and gifts, many of which are handmade.

³We are serving the needs of the business people at Kings Hill as well as the residents and so we have made sure that we have something to appeal to everyone, and in all price brackets ­ from expensive gifts to pocket money presents.

³We have designed the shop with plenty of room for buggies and made sure all the breakables are out of reach of small hands! The shop is a real family affair ­ my mother will be serving in the shop and my father helped with its design.

Liberty Square is the bustling heart of Kings Hill, with its shops, restaurants, pub, art gallery, dentist, veterinary surgery, optician and estates agents. There is a peaceful square with benches and a striking sculpture ŒWhen the Sky¹s the Limit, the Spirits Soar¹ at its centre.

Caroline Binns, associate director, marketing and leasing, of Kings Hill developer Liberty Property Trust UK Ltd said that the shop is just what Liberty Square needs.

³It is great to see specialist shops opening at Kings Hill, offering unusual goods and providing a personal service,² she said. ³The square serves the requirements of the people who work here as well as the residents and the greater the variety of amenities we have here, the less people will have to drive into nearby towns to fulfil their needs. We now have a supermarket, a chemist, a florist, gallery, hairdressers and postal company and a card and gift shop is a very welcome addition.

Anyone interested in leasing space in Liberty Square should contact Jim Grant on 01892 515001 / jgrant@cradick.co.uk