Ex-nurse buys Stafford cafe from Cure the NHS founder Julie Bailey

Husband and wife Dianne and Tony Thompson bought Breaks Cafe in Stafford from Ms Bailey after she says she was hounded out of the town following her campaign over the hospital's standards of care.

The couple have redecorated the Lichfield Road site and plan to rename it Tomo's Cafe. They have even displayed Support Stafford Hospital stickers in the window of the cafe, which was home to the Cure the NHS pressure group and used to host its meetings.

The pair have never run a business before but are hoping to attract customers old and new.

Mrs Thompson said: "We have had a really great response since taking over.

"We got a good luck letter from Support Stafford Hospital and a lot of my friends and former colleagues have been really supportive.

"They were surprised given its association with Julie and Cure the NHS but a lot of people have said how happy they are to see it in new hands."

New signage and menus will be put in place in the coming days to add to its new decor.

The couple are distancing themselves from the cafe's former ties.

"We want to keep it as a simple cafe where people can come in for something to eat and drink and have a chat," said former lorry driver Mr Thompson.

The 44-year-old added: "We were walking around the town one day and came into the cafe and started talking to Julie. She said she was selling and we thought about it and made her an offer.

"Since we have opened we have received so many positive messages and a lot of customers who haven't been to the cafe in the past few years have started to come back.

"We thought we would give it a try. There can be nothing better than being your own boss so we just went for it." Mrs Thompson, who has lived in Stafford all her life, added: "We want everyone to know they are welcome, whether they be NHS workers or not.

"We are making a lot of changes and want it to be a place everyone feels welcome in."

Ms Bailey founded Cure the NHS following the death of her mother Bella at Stafford Hospital. She pushed for public inquiries into death rates at the hospital, which revealed hundreds may have died unnecessarily.

She put the business up for sale and moved out of the town after claiming she had received death threats and vandals had attacked her mother's grave.