RESIDENTS in Minehead are to lose their only Post Office sooner than expected after the postmaster resigned ahead of its planned closure.

The Post Office, located inside the Co-op store in The Avenue, was due to shut on Saturday (June 13) when the supermarket will also close.

Instead, it will now cease trading when it shuts at 5.30 pm on Tuesday (June 9).

The closure will leave Dunster as the nearest Post Office offering counter service for Minehead and Alcombe residents.

Post Office corporate partner lead Tracey Newton-Crofts said: “We are working hard to keep any period of closure to a minimum.

“We have been inviting applications to operate a new branch in Minehead, and I am pleased to confirm that an application is progressing, and we will provide a further update as soon as possible.

“We apologise for the inconvenience the closure may cause.

“We hope that our customers will continue to use Post Office services and alternative Post Office branches in the area.

“Any future changes to service provision would be handled in line with our principles of community engagement.”

The Co-op is closing following the refusal by Somerset Council of a planning application for its demolition and replacement with a block of McCarthy Stone retirement flats and a smaller, convenience size store.

The supermarket gave notice to the Post Office that its lease would be ended with the June 13 store closure.

The Post Office has said it hopes to see another branch open with improved services and longer hours of business, although it could take several weeks before that happened.

It has refused to say where the new Post Office will be located.