SHOPPERS can get discounts and rewards from independent stores through a new app.

The Love West Oxfordshire LoyalFree app is free to download, and is being run by West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC).

Favourites including Pobi Bakery in Witney, The Madhatter Bookshop in Burford and The Tea Set in Chipping Norton are offering the service.

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Suzi Coul, cabinet member for finance at WODC, said: “I am really excited that we can, at last, shop and enjoy our local area in a way that we haven’t been able to since the beginning of 2020.

“We are no longer under pressure to shop only for essentials, and the LoyalFree app is a brilliant way for us to celebrate the reopening of our high streets and to get behind our local retailers and attractions.

“The app will act as an incentive to make the most of our area, find offers, attractions and experiences and support the great independent businesses we have in the district.

“Shopping locally has benefits for everyone, from reducing our carbon footprint, to supporting our local economy and reconnecting with what’s on our doorstep.”

The app is operated by LoyalFree, with residents who download it able to access deals across the rest of the country via the wider LoyalFree network.

The app also provides trails that give users the opportunity to explore West Oxfordshire, with routes including a ‘Downton Abbey trail’ and ‘Witney historic sites trail’.