Thorney Post Office will be based in a new coffee shop opening at the Rose & Crown pub from March 19.

Current Postmaster Gillian Taylor is to retire and the actual date of the move from 5 Abbey Placeis Wednesday 18 March at 5.30pm.

During that relocation an alternative Post Office is available at Eye.

Thorney will be a new-style local service, whereby Post Office services are provided from an open plan counter position beside the retail till, during the shop’s opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 9am to 7pm; Sunday: noon to 4pm.

This will offer customers an extra 23 hours a week to access Post Office products and services including Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The branch will also close later and there will be no lunchtime closing.

The move is part of a major modernisation programme across the Post Office network designed to make it easier for customers to do business, through longer opening hours and modern open plan environments.

Post Office Regional Network Manager for England, Will Russell said: “We understand how important having a Post Office is to residents in Thorney and we are confident that this new modern branch will meet the needs of the local community and secure services for the future. The modernisation is part of a major investment programme to convert the Post Office network to new-style branches and this investment, the largest in the history of the Post Office, makes a commitment to no more branch closure programmes.”