A CAFÉ owner who was forced to shut up shop after being diagnosed with breast cancer is back in business after battling the disease.

Joan Honey, who owns Beside the Seaside café in Walton, is back behind the counter after a 16 month absence.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and closed the café while she underwent treatment.

But Joan, 54, came through her surgeries with flying colours and is now determined to get back to normal.

She said: “I actually consider myself very fortunate. I had a mastectomy and a reconstruction, but I didn’t need chemotherapy or radiotherapy, just hormone treatments.

“Now I’m feeling brilliant. The day I closed I said that I would definitely be back.

“It was a tough time for all of us but coming back to work was one of the things that kept me going. It is something to focus on and aim for.

“Now we’re just trying to spread the word around and hopefully the café will be thriving again very soon.”