CUSTOMERS at a rural post office are set to enjoy longer opening hours following a refurbishment of the store this week.

Hurworth Post Office, on The Green, will be open seven days a week under the new Post Office 'local' service, which sees counter services offered alongside those of a convenience store.

The branch will close at 5.30pm on Monday and will reopen at 1pm on Thursday, January 8 after the refurbishment.

The new opening hours for the Hurworth Post Office will be Monday to Saturday, 7am to 9pm, and Sundays, between 8am and 9pm - an extra 51 hours per week compared to the current opening times.

The Hurworth branch will offer the usual post office services at an open plan counter, including withdrawals from a Post Office Card Account, special delivery, travel money and mobile phone top-ups.

Anne Clark, area manager, said: “We know how important Post Office services are to residents in Hurworth and we are confident that this vibrant new-style Post Office at the heart of the community will be popular.

She added: “The modernisation is part of a major Government investment programme that is enabling us to continue investing in the Post Office network and to map out a bold growth strategy through to the end of the decade."

During the closure of Hurworth Post Office customers can use any branch, including the main post office in Crown Street and Geneva Road post office.