Sponsored by
Post office is back in town
Bhagat Singh at the new Post Office in Broughton
A community near Garstang is celebrating the return of a Post Office to the village after losing the service three years ago.
Married father-of-one, Bahagat Singh opened a new post office branch within Rai’s Broughton Village store in Garstang Road, Preston, in a response to demands from local villagers.
Sub-postmaster Mr Singh said: “A lot of the locals have been crying out for a Post Office in the village.
“We’ve had quite a good reaction to it since we re-opened.”
The 23-year-old first worked in the store, a former clothes shop, which opened two-and-a-half years ago before taking on the sub-postmaster role.
He said: “The community has really suffered since the Post Office down the road closed.
“There are a lot of elderly people who live in the village and as the bus service only runs every half an hour or every 45 minutes, it is difficult for them to get to other branches.”
The new branch is situated just yards from the former Post Office run by Jacqueline McDonald who admitted stealing almost £100,000 from the till.
McDonald, 45, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of theft and false accounting totalling nearly £100,000 and was sentenced to 18 months in prison in January 2011 at Preston Crown Court.
Though the mum-of-three stole a six-figure sum, she was ordered to pay back just £1 at a Proceeds of Crime hearing and was released after four-and-a-half months on good behaviour.
Preston City Councillor Tom Davies, who represents the Preston Rural East ward on the council, said: “It is brilliant news that we have got a new Post Office, we have been waiting for it for quite some time.”
Post Office spokesman Liz Morgan said: “I am confident that the new site is the best way to restore services to the local community.
Customers will benefit from the extensive opening hours provided by the new retailer which is open Monday to Saturday 7am to 9pm and Sunday 7:30am to 4pm.”
A wide range of services will be available including banking, bill and budget payment schemes, Post Office card account, postage inland parcels, international letters, and printed papers.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Longridge
Thursday 20 June 2013
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 12 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: West
