LONG Newton residents will once again have their own post office after managing without one for 18 months.

The former village post office in Grasscroft closed when the sub-postmaster resigned. Since then, villagers have worked together with the Post Office to find a solution.

On June 14, a new post office will open in the Wilson Institute. It will be open from 9am to 1pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The institute is owned by the Anglican Church, with St Mary's Parish Church in the village acting as the trustee.

John Rosser, a member of the institute committee, said: "It came to a point last year where the future of the institute was in doubt. The church called an open meeting and an overwhelming number of residents attended who felt that the hall should be retained.

"As part of a feasibility study, the committee issued questionnaires to every resident in Long Newton and Elton asking for their views on the institute and other issues including the need for a post office.

"We received 48pc back and people said they wanted to retain the hall and have a post office. So we began looking at grant applications."

The committee received a rural grant of just over £9,000 from the Post Office to convert a small area of the institute into a post office.

Mr Rosser said: "Specific areas of the community such as the elderly and young parents have suffered without a post office and we are very pleased that we are going to have one again.

"Hopefully, we can build it up so it can open it for longer. We also hope to have a drop-in centre where people can sit and have a chat over a cup of coffee."

Julie Plumb, who lives in the village, was appointed as the new sub-postmistress after applying for the position when it was advertised in the parish press.

"The post office's opening hours are very convenient because my husband works long hours and I have a ten, an eight and a three-year-old to look after," she said.

"I can also walk to work because I live only six houses away. My training was very intense, but everyone has been wonderful.

"There have been a lot of parties involved and it's been a very long process and a lot of hard work.

"Hopefully we will get a lot of people from around the village using the post office. It's also happened at the right time following the announcement that three urban post offices close to us could close."

The institute has been used for village activities since the 1800s.