VILLAGERS who feared the closure of their post office and shop was imminent have been cheered by the news it has been given an 11th hour stay of execution.

Residents of Kirk Merrington, near Spennymoor, believed that the village's sub post office was to close tomorrow.

The managers of the shop put the property on the market more than a year ago but had difficulty securing a buyer.

Earlier this month, the shop stopped selling and delivering newspapers and customers had been told it would close tomorrow.

But Post Office bosses this week appointed a temporary sub-postmaster to keep it open until a long-term solution can be found.

A spokesman for Post Office Limited said: "This branch is not closing.

"It will be run by a temporary sub-postmaster from Wednesday (yesterday).

"In the longer term, we hope to appoint a permanent replacement for the previous sub-postmaster."

Until a postmaster is found to take over long-term, the post office's opening hours will be reduced.

It will now open on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, from 9am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 5.30pm, and on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, from 9am to 12.30pm.

The shop is described by residents as a community lifeline.

They say they rely on its services which include the post office, a dry cleaning service and grocer.

Older residents in particular would miss the shop, as some collect their pensions and even medical prescriptions there.

Sedgefield Borough councillor Christine Sproat said: "A few very unhappy residents had contacted me, concerned about losing the post office.

"It is so important to the community - apart from pubs it is the only amenity in the village.

"Older people would especially miss it. It is a focal point for the community, somewhere to meet up and keep in touch with local people.

"Without it they would have to travel to Ferryhill or Spennymoor for the lost services, to pick up their pensions, prescriptions and even a pint of milk or loaf of bread.

"To find out it has been given a temporary stay of execution is good news. I only hope that can become a long-term reprieve."