A RICHMOND post office is to extend its opening hours and get a complete refurbishment.

Gilling Road Post Office, Richmond, will be closed for refurbishment from Thursday, April 11 at 5.15pm and re-open on Saturday, April 13 at 9am.

The opening hours will be extended by 70 hours and will now be open seven days a week – 7am until 10pm Monday to Saturday and 7am until 10pm on Sundays.

Post Office regional network manager for central England Adrian Wales said: “We understand how important having a post office is to residents in Gilling Road and we are confident this new modern post office service will meet the needs of the local community and secure services for the future.

“This modernisation is part of a three-year investment programme, the largest in the history of the post office, that will see around 6,000 branches - about half the post office network - converting to new-style branches.

"This investment makes a commitment to no more branch closure programmes."

The nearest alternative post offices are Richmond Post Office, 6 Finkle Street, Richmond, and Gilling West Post Office, Gilling West, Richmond.