Post office closed, but service committed to village (From Thurrock Gazette)

Post office closed, but service committed to village

7:40am Friday 26th October 2012 in News

BULPHAN’s post office has temporarily closed following the resignation of its sub-post master.

The village shop, in Church Road, which the post office is within, has been withdrawn from post office use, but bosses say they are working to find a solution.

Gary Herbert, who is the Post Office’s senior external stakeholder manager for the East of England, said: “We have had some operational difficulties at the post office in Bulphan.

“As it stands at the moment, the premises have been withdrawn.

“However, the Post Office is totally committed to maintaining services in the area and across our network and we will be working extremely hard to find a solution.

“Our sub-post master has resigned and we are advertising the vacancy.”

Mr Herbert said while it would be ideal for the post office to go back into the village shop, “it is not the only option” as post offices do not have to be located within shops.

Villagers who need to use post office services in the meantime have been advised to go to the next nearest branch in Chafford Gardens, West Horndon.

East Thurrock’s Conservative MP Stephen Metcalfe got in touch with the company after getting calls from a number of concerned residents in Bulphan about the future of the branch.

The MP was initially told it would reopen on Monday, October 29, but has now been informed this is unlikely.

He has since had assurances from the Post Office that it is committed to a service in the village.