THE towns main Post office will close for a week as plans are made to move it to its new premises.

The doors of the former Evesham post office in High Street, Evesham, will re-open as a new post office on Thursday, May 5.

The counters are set to move from the Co-op supermarket in the Riverside Shopping Centre to the refurbished premises at 87 High Street.

The post office branch managed by Oxford, Swindon & Gloucester Co-op will shut its doors at the end of business on Thursday, April 28, and then there will be a break for a week while the fixtures and fittings are transferred to the new location.

All post office counter clerks are expected to move from the Riverside Shopping Centre to the High Street premises.

The Co-op supermarket itself will close at 5pm on Saturday, April 16, but post office customers will be able to cross the empty store to access the counters for the next 12 days.

The extensive refurbishment of the High Street premises is already well under way and includes improvements to the back-room staff facilities.

The branch will continue to be run by Oxford, Swindon & Gloucester Co-op and the full range of post office services will be available, including vehicle licensing, banking and benefit payments. Opening hours will remain the same, 8.30am to 6pm Monday to Saturday.

Oxford, Swindon & Gloucester Co-op post officer operations manager James Dale said: "Since we announced that the main Co-op store was closing we have worked very closely with Post Office Ltd, local councillors and Peter Luff, MP for Mid Worcestershire, to find the best way to retain a town centre post office for Evesham.

"We looked at a number of options and we are pleased to be able to retain the service right in the centre of town."

Councillor Jo Sandalls, one of the prime movers in the fight to get the post office back in the High Street, said: "This is brilliant news. I am really pleased for Evesham."

While the town centre post office is closed customers can use any post office branch. The nearest are Bengeworth branch, 3, Northwick Road, Cheltenham Road branch, 48, Cheltenham Road, Hampton branch, 102, Pershore Road, Harvington branch, 65 Village Street, Harvington, and Offenham branch, Main Street, Offenham, which also issues vehicle licensing.