By John Elworthy A COUPLE who have run a village shop and post office for 31 years are to close after failing to find a buyer. However the Post Office is still hopeful of finding a replacement but our efforts have so far failed to find a replacement sub

By John Elworthy

A COUPLE who have run a village shop and post office for 31 years are to close after failing to find a buyer.

However the Post Office is still hopeful of finding a replacement "but our efforts have so far failed to find a replacement sub postmaster."

Wendy and Peter Redman will close their sub post office on today and will serve customers for the final time on Saturday at their village store in Welney.

The shop - known locally as 'Wendy's- was one of the many businesses hit during the winter by closure of the A1101 at Welney Washes.

But they also say uncertainty over the Royal Mail and the Government's plans for closing rural post offices has made it difficult to find someone able to take it on.

Peter Cox, who runs the village website, said: "It is always a sad event when a community loses its shop. In our case we have been especially lucky to have been served by people who did a lot more than just run a shop and deliver our papers.

"They provided all sorts of unpaid behind the scenes facilities, one of which was handling prescriptions on behalf of patients of Upwell Health Centre."

One of many tributes paid to the couple has come from nearby Tipps End where villagers raised money for gifts to Mr and Mrs Redman,

"Some of the organisers were to be away on holiday in June, so it was decided to bring forward the presentation to a somewhat surprised Wendy and Pete," explained Mr Cox.

Also retiring is Carole Connor who for more than 20 years has braved all weathers to deliver newspapers and magazines.

However Mr Cox is hopeful villagers will still be able to get prescriptions locally as the village is hoping arrangements can be made to collect them from Marifa Lodge residential home.

Mr and Mrs Redman first opened for business in March, 1976 and last year received a certificate from the Post Office commemorating her long service.

A spokesman for the Post Office said the Welney sub office will remain closed until someone new comes forward to run it.

"We understand the people of Welney will be concerned about the future of post office services in their area," he said.

Anyone interested in the vacancy at the post office is urged to call 0845 6016260.