Three closed post offices reopen

The Post Office in Trinity Street Dorchester closed on Tuesday

Three Post Office branches in Dorset and Wiltshire, which were unexpectedly shut down on Tuesday, have reopened.

The franchises in Weymouth, Dorchester, and Salisbury, closed after the company running them went into administration.

Counter Management Ltd, which ran the former crown branches and their associated shops, had run up debts of £250,000.

The Post Office said it had reopened the branches on Wednesday morning under the management of an interim agent.

Administrators Portland Group confirmed that Counter Management Ltd had gone into administration.

Most of the 45 staff employed by Counter Management Ltd should keep their jobs, but the future for about 10 staff who run the associated shops was not clear.

Last year, about 28 Post Office branches closed across Dorset as part of a cost-cutting plan to shut 2,500 branches nationwide.