A WOLVERLEY parish council meeting called to rally support for postmaster Richard Watkins has been cancelled following objections.

Parish council chairman John Wardle - who is also a county councillor - had called tonight's emergency meeting to pass a vote of confidence in the "gentle giant" who stabbed an armed raider during a struggle. The raider later died.

But Mr Watkins' friends in the Kidderminster village hit back at the council's plans, claiming the postmaster would prefer to lie low.

And they warned that the continuing media interest generated by this latest twist would stop him coming to terms with the bungled raid.

"Many of the residents in the village feel it's totally unnecessary," said Nigel Addison, landlord of the Queens Head pub and lifelong friend of Mr Watkins, speaking before it was known the meeting had been cancelled.

"Richard and his family are well aware of the support being offered - they have had letters of support from all over the country.

"But they want to resume as normal a life as possible. Unfortunately, this meeting has generated so much media interest that they are not able to get on with their lives.

"It's just making it worse for them and it's not something Richard supports."

The meeting was cancelled without warning earlier today.

"The parish council clerk, Beverley Woodcock, rang this morning to say it was cancelled. She didn't discuss the reasons and I didn't ask," said David Lews, Labour county councillor for Wolverley.

No one from the parish council was available for comment as the Evening News went to press.

Two men appeared before Redditch magistrates on Saturday, June 24, in connection with the raid.

Wayne Davies, aged 25, of no fixed abode and Neal Frost, 32, of Brook Street, Wall Heath, were charged with attempted robbery.

Davies has also been charged with assaulting a police officer and escaping from Halesowen Magistrates Court on Friday, June 16.

Both were remanded in custody until Friday, June 30.