Post offices are safe

The Post Office has pledged to keep open three branches after customers arrived to find them closed on Tuesday afternoon.

Customers were shocked, worried and mystified by the sudden closures in Salisbury, Weymouth and Dorchester, which happened without warning or explanation.

It later emerged all three branches were shut after the company that ran them on behalf of the Post Office, Counter Management, had gone into administration with debts of up to £250,000.

However, the Post Office has drafted in managers to reopen all three branches and promised customers the future of the offices was secure.

A Post Office spokesman said: "These branches were all shut due to circumstances outside of our control. However, they were all reopened this morning. We have placed interim sub-postmasters to run them on our behalf.

"It's business as usual. This arrangement is for the foreseeable future. We are totally committed to keeping these branches open."

The branches involved are: Castle Street, Salisbury, St Thomas Street, Weymouth and Trinity Street, Dorchester.

Administrator Mike Fortune of the Portland Group said most of the 45 staff employed by Counter Management at the branches should keep their jobs.

However, the future for about 10 staff who ran associated shops was not clear, he said.

Derek Clash, secretary of the Bournemouth and Dorset branch of the Communication Workers Union, said the sudden closures was a cause for concern.

Customers were particularly concerned as a result of both the uncertain economic climate and moves which have seen hundreds of post office branches closed around the country.

Nearly 30 were closed across Dorset last year while about 20 were shut in Wiltshire as part of a cost-cutting plan to pull the shutters on 2,500 branches.

Many other post offices had their opening hours reduced and now open for limited periods.