WE absolutely appreciate the concerns raised by members of the council in regard to Bradshaw Post Office.

Many people tell us just how vital Post Office services are to their community — from every day banking to a wide range of postal services — which is why we work really hard to make sure they are available in as many communities across the UK as possible.

We are pleased to say that our network of 11,500 branches is at its most stable for decades.

Thousands of branches are now open for longer, from early into the morning until late in the evening, seven days a week.

However, as I am sure you can understand, from time to time, Post Office branches will undergo changes.

These are often outside our control and may be for one of a range of reasons — from the postmaster resigning or retiring, or even a flood or fire.

In these circumstances, we always look for an alternative solution, so we can continue providing vital services to customers and communities.

We are very grateful to Mr Patel, the current postmaster at Bradshaw Post Office, for all his hard work.

We are now in the process of exploring a range of options to ensure that, when Mr Patel leaves, we can maintain Post Office services.

What we may need to do is put in place a temporary option for maintaining services while we keep working to identify a more permanent solution.

Whatever the arrangement we arrive at, we would like to reassure the council and our customers that we are absolutely committed to ensuring Post Office services are available in the area, and we will of course keep them informed of any updates.

The Post Office