Sisters aged 21 and 20 take over running of Petworld in Wisbech

TWO young sisters with a passion for animals have taken over the day-to-day running of a Wisbech pet shop.

Emily Clifton, 21, and her sister Larissa, 20, are the new faces at Petworld in Lynn Road, which reopened for business on July 1 alongside sister company Pondworld Aquatics.

Both stores were destroyed by a fire in May last year, after arsonists torched nearby wheelie bins.

The sisters, from Walpole Highway, ran Petworld from a wooden shack for their first five weeks in charge but have now moved into their newly-rebuilt shop next to Pondworld.

Emily said: “Our dad is friends with Stephen Neccer, who owns Pondworld and Petworld. Stephen’s sister ran Petworld previously, but they have now gone into partnership.

“We were both in jobs at the time - I was a shop assistant and Larissa worked at a vets in Ely - but we felt we would dive in and go for it.”

The shop will specialise in equestrian equipment because Emily used to showjump.

“I used to ride for someone professional,” said Emily. “I rode every weekend and travelled around the country for events. I don’t jump as much as I used to, but I still jump whenever I can.”

The shop also has a number of pet birds for sale including parrots, budgerigars and cockatiels, alongside mice, hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas and a wide range of pet supplies.

• Petworld is open seven days a week from 9am-5.30pm.