Post office that inspired Postman Pat may be saved

John Cunliffe ran the mobile library service in Northumberland for many years

A post office that was part of the inspiration for the Postman Pat stories could be saved from closure after a community organisation raised enough money to buy it.

Greendale, the village where Pat delivers his mail, is based on Longsleddale in Cumbria but author John Cunliffe ran the Wooler mobile library service in Northumberland and said it also inspired the tales.

The retirement of the current postmaster, who owns the building, prompted concerns the town would lose the post office.

However, the Glendale Gateway Trust, which said the facility was "vital" to the town, said it had had an offer accepted for the building raising hopes it will stay open.

Wooler has no banks so local people said it was vital the post office stayed open

The Northumberland market town is in the valley of Glendale and has been linked to the Greendale in the fictional postman series.

In an interview before he died, the author said Greendale was both Cumbria and Northumberland.

Chief executive of the Glendale Community Trust Karen Froggatt said the money for the post office had come from "lots of different organisations".

"People from the community have also donated because it is just so vital to the town," she said.

"It is crucial for local businesses, but it's also a place where if someone doesn't turn up for a few days, that sets off alarm bells."

More than 100 people attended a public meeting about the future of the post office

The building also has a two-bedroom flat which will be let to a local family.

"It needs refurbishment but once that's done we can offer it to someone on our waiting list because there is a desperate shortage of affordable housing," Ms Froggatt said.

"It's in the hands of solicitors, but all being well we're looking at mid-March for the new postmaster to take over and the flat should be available later in the year," she added.