Caroline beat off fierce competition from 10 of the town's most popular shop assistants to win the Free Press' At Your Service award for Sudbury's favourite server.

The 51-year-old was stunned when we contacted her on Tuesday to reveal she had won after an extremely close contest that went right to the wire.

"I'm gobsmacked," she said. "I have had people coming into the shop and saying 'you are going to win', but I didn't take anything for granted."

Caroline, who has worked at Thing Me Bobs in Borehamgate for nearly three years, was nominated by Lesley Fisher, of Sudbury.

"Merry by name and merry by nature," she said.

"Caroline Merry is the most cheerful, friendly and helpful salesperson in Sudbury.

"There are not many shops you go in these days and come out feeling better, but Caroline is always the same and I think she should be recognised for making shopping that much more pleasurable."

That view was backed by our readers, who voted in their droves for a woman who says she loves her job.

"One of my favourite sayings is 'roll on half past five!' " Caroline said. "But I don't really mean it, because I love my job and it's nice that people think I'm doing it well."

Caroline wins a handsome engraved shield and £100, courtesy of Bates, Wells and Braithwaite solicitors who are sponsors of our Proud of Sudbury campaign.

She hasn't yet decided what she will spend the money on, but suspects it will be put towards "paying the bills".

The voting was extremely close right until Monday's closing date and congratulations should also go to our other nominees: Alan Marshall of Kandy Kiosk, Marion Tredant of W H Smith, Julie Last and Kerry Hayward from Boots, Tesco's Chris Rix, Emma Amos from Bon Marche, Maureen Henderson from Netta's, Tracey Dark from Thomas Cook, Agatha Pettengell from Roys and Steph Cunnah from Peyton Plaice.