'Safe' post office now faces axe

Villagers intend to campaign to overturn the Post Office's decision

A sub postmaster who moved to a post office he thought would remain open, is now fighting to save it, while his old post office has been given a reprieve.

Neil Wood took over at Abbotskerswell post office - not on the Royal Mail's original list of 37 to close in Devon.

But when the final list was announced, his previous post office at Chelston in Torquay was saved, while Abbotskerswell was added to the closure list.

A six week consultation process will now take place.

A Post Office spokesman told BBC News: "We are having to make some very difficult choices in order to put the Post Office network on a more stable footing for the future.

You do feel like you're a bit of a jinx, but you've just got to see the funny side Neil Wood, Abbotskerswell sub postmaster

"We appreciate that this is an upsetting time for the staff and customers of any Post Office branch that is proposed for closure."

Mr Wood said finding Abbotskerswell on the "hit" list had come out of the blue.

"We're all rather amazed to say the least," he said.

"The general feeling is we were doing well enough to escape the first lot, so what's changed since then?

"I've only been here since the middle of June and I'd say for a rural post office it's busy."

POST OFFICE CLOSURES Devon Post Office closures in full (216K) Most computers will open PDF documents automatically, but you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Download the reader here

He said the village has rallied round and a campaign had begun to save the post office

The six-week consultation for the Abbotskerswell and Moreleigh post offices will run until 22 September.

The 37 branches earmarked for closure in Devon will cease trading from August onwards.

Post Office Ltd says it has no choice but to make the cuts after the government told it to close up to 2,500 branches in a bid to stem losses of £4m a week.

A total of 32 of the branches being closed will be replaced by outreach services, for example mobile post offices.