POST office services are to return to a village nine months after the death of the previous postmistress.

A mobile post office will be in Melsonby, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, for two afternoons a week from January 4.

The village post office and store closed on March 23 when the body of owner Diana Garbutt was found in the living quarters.

A post-mortem examination found that the 40-yearold had suffered serious head injuries.

Three weeks later, police arrested and then charged her husband, Robin, with murder.

Mr Garbutt, 45, denies killing his wife and a trial is scheduled to take place at Teesside Crown Court in March.

Mr and Mrs Garbutt had run the business together for about seven years.

Councillor Jan Archer, chairwoman of Melsonby Parish Council, said the mobile service was a temporary measure until the outcome of the trial was known. She added: “We miss the shop and post office terribly “I ran the post office for 20 years and I know what an asset it is to the village.

“I just hope that people use the temporary service. It’s been nine months since the closure and people have made other arrangements.

“There’s no telling if they will use it because it has taken the Post Office so long to make these arrangements.”

The mobile post office will park in Aldbrough Road, Melsonby, on Tuesdays, from 2.30pm until 4.30pm, and on Wednesdays, from 1.30pm to 3.30pm. A Post Office spokesman said officials would continue to seek a longterm solution as well.