A VILLAGE post office which has been closed for almost a year is to be reopened as an outreach service. The postmaster at Radwinter Post Office retired in June and people feared that the service would be lost for good because a replacement could not be fo

A VILLAGE post office which has been closed for almost a year is to be reopened as an outreach service.

The postmaster at Radwinter Post Office retired in June and people feared that the service would be lost for good because a replacement could not be found.

Clerk of Radwinter Parish Council Ray Jones said: "It has caused some concern for the elderly people in the village who have had to travel into Walden to collect their pensions."

Now Post Office Ltd has announced that the Radwinter branch will be run as an outreach service open for six hours a week: on Tuesdays from 10am to 1pm and on Fridays from 1.30pm to 4.30pm.

The service starts next Friday (May 15) and will operate from the village hall - the same location as the former branch. It will be run by the postmaster from West Wickham.

"It is disappointing that the branch has been closed for nearly a year and we haven't been able to find a full-time replacement postmaster, but I'm happy that something has now been put in place," said Mr Jones.

The reopened branch will offer the same range of services as before and allow customers to collect benefits in cash using the banking services or Post Office card account.

A Post Office spokesman said: "We are delighted that we have been able to secure the future of Post Office services in Radwinter as for some time now we have been exploring a number of options that would enable us to find a permanent solution.

"The establishment of an outreach service presents the best possible solution and I hope customers and the community as a whole will join us in welcoming and supporting our agent in their new venture."

A six-week public consultation on the outreach service will be held to give people the chance to have their say. The consultation closes on Wednesday June 10 and submissions can be made by post to Post Office Ltd, c/o National Consultation Team, PO Box 2060, Watford WD18 8ZW or by email to consultation@postoffice.co.uk.