A VILLAGE post office has been offered a lifeline by a family-run store after agreeing to take it under its wing.

Postmistress Michelle Heyes, who manages the post office facility in Bidford has said its current position in the high street is not viable and has announced her resignation.

Bidford Warner's Budgens store has agreed to put the post office facility in the store to ensure local residents continue to have access to its services.

In a letter to Bidford-on-Avon Parish Council, Mrs Heyes said her decision to resign was not taken lightly and came at a time of increasing competition.

“With rising overheads I have been working six days a week for the past 15 months. This is a situation that cannot continue,” she said.

“I have worked very hard to keep the branch in its current position but I now feel that in order to ensure that the village keeps a viable post office branch for the long term, it would be best for the village and for the Post Office to relocate the branch into Budgens.

“It would mean that the post office branch would be open longer hours, there would be no parking issue and hopefully less queues.”

Guy Warner, the owner of Warner’s Budgens, said he was pleased to be able to offer the post office a new home saying there would also be jobs for both Mrs Heyes and her assistant at the new branch if they wanted them.

“We successfully took on the postal service at our Warner’s Budgens store in Moreton when the postmistress there retired. We’re very happy to help by keeping the service going in Bidford,” he said.

The Post Office has launched a six-week consultation and if there are no major obstacles or objections, the new branch should open at the supermarket less than a mile away in Salford Road.

A spokesperson for The Post Office said: “Unfortunately, the branch is not viable in its current location, and our postmaster has, therefore, made the decision to resign. However, she is committed to ensuring the community have continued access to post office services and has been working with us to identify an alternative location.

“I’m therefore pleased to confirm that an opportunity has arisen to move the branch into Warner’s Budgens convenience store, providing brighter, more modern premises which will offer improved facilities to our customers.”

Mrs Heyes added: “Businesses sometimes have to change in order to survive in a constantly changing market place. The post office in Bidford is being given a chance to survive long term and I hope everyone will be supportive of this move and thank Guy for giving us this opportunity,” she said.

Anyone who wants to comment on the move can do so at www.postofficeview.co.uk or www.warnersbudgens.co.uk