A THRIVING cafe is being forced to close because the owner needs major spinal surgery.
Tina's Deli and Cafe on Hoyland High Street opened three years ago. It had been Tina and Ray Hibberd's dream to run their own cafe and it proved very successful - they had to take on another member of staff last year due to the workload.
But Tina has developed a severe back problem, linked to her sciatic nerve, which regularly causes her legs to give way and she collapses.
"It's dangerous for me, and it's dangerous for the customers if I'm carrying something."
She has already had wires put into her back connected to a battery in her stomach, which sends signals to her spine, but the surgery has failed.
"We've tried to carry on, but I'm having more major surgery in August so we're having to close.
"It's absolutely breaking our hearts. We just love it. It was our dream to run our own little cafe."
