Sudbury to lose only post office until replacement is found

The current Post Office in Sudbury is located within a WHSmith store

A town with a population of 20,000 people is set to lose its only post office.

The Post Office said it would be closing its branch inside the WHSmith store in Sudbury, Suffolk, on 9 June, although it was looking for an alternative location.

People in the town have been told the nearest alternative service is at Great Cornard, just over a mile (1.6km) away.

The Post Office said it was "deeply sorry" and was working on a solution.

Town councillor Sue Ayres said they were "very disappointed".

She said there was "always a queue" at the Sudbury Post Office and it was used by a "lot of people".

The Conservative councillor said post offices in surrounding villages would not cope with the demand.

"We have post offices in Great Waldingfield and Long Melford - and there are long, long queues.

"They have to consider those who do not have transport or can't go on a bus, it's just taking total disregard for the elderly. I'm absolutely gutted," she said.

• The town that feels bypassed again and again

• 'The night-time industry needs to come back'

• Why are old post boxes suddenly going missing?

Chris Weston, from Westons Bakery in the town, said she expressed interest in taking over the service in January but said she never heard back.

She said: "I would've loved the post office and would still have it."

The Post Office said it had interest from an applicant who wanted to keep the post office in the current location but that had "unfortunately not been possible".

It said it was "working hard to find an alternative premise in the area where a post office can operate" and to find a temporary solution.