Post office which shut without warning on Christmas Eve to reopen

Halesowen Post Office in Peckingham Street has been closed since Christmas Eve.

But Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris said today he had been told by the Post Office that it would be able to open again by the end of the week.

The MP said the branch has closed due to a dispute between the landlord and operator.

On Christmas Eve, customers arrived to find a sign in the window advising them to use Hawne Post Office in Stourbridge Road or Old Hill Post Office in Halesowen Road, Cradley Heath.

A separate notice stated that the lease of the building had been terminated.

The closure also affected a beauty salon, which shares the same site, resulting in staff arriving to find they could not get into work and all their equipment was locked inside.

Shoppers spoke of their shock at finding the branch which is the biggest in the area shut.

But Mr Morris, who attended the opening of the branch in November, said he had been assured by the Post Office that the branch would re-open.

He added: "I have been in contact with senior management at the Post Office over the holiday period to understand what has happened and help find a solution.

The abrupt closure was due to a dispute between the current branch operator and their landlord.

"Post Office management have assured me that the branch will re-open this week and are committed to sustaining this vital local service. I will continue to work with the Post Office to make sure this happens."

The Post Office said it could not yet confirm the opening date. The spokeswoman added: "The Post Office apologises to customers for any inconvenience caused by the recent temporary closure of Halesowen Post Office.

"We would like to reassure customers that the Post Office is committed to maintaining a service in Halesowen and we are currently working hard to ensure this."

The branch opened in November at MSNB Food Ltd, based at the former Woolworths shop with longer opening hours.

There had previously been a branch in smaller premises in the same street.

The revamp followed a £2.6billion investment programme by the Government to update post offices and prevent the need for branches to close.