AFTER complaints that a village was going to be left without a post box during Christmas time, the Royal Mail has delivered a replacement.

The previous post box had been sealed shut and painted black after the property owner did not want it in use.

Now, a new post box has been installed on the green near the Punchbowl pub at Edmundbyers, County Durham.

Residents of the remote village, near Derwent Reservoir, previously had to travel two miles to the neighbouring hamlet of Ruffside or make a five mile trip to Blanchland to post a letter.

Although please by the replacement, residents are angry at the time it has taken.

The Royal Mail initially said it would not be able to install a new box until after Christmas as it needed to check for gas works and phone lines.

Villagers say they were not notified about the new post box and only knew of it after they saw it for themselves.

Durham County Councillor John Shuttleworth said the way the situation has been handled by the Royal Mail "isn't good enough".

Cllr Shuttleworth said: “There has been a total lack of communication with either the residents in the village or myself from day one with Royal Mail. It would have been easier dealing with the Muppets."

He added that emails he sent to Royal Mail about the post box would be replied to with a letter a few days later.

“It doesn’t take much to reply to an email, it’s a lot quicker and easier,” he said

The Northern Echo requested a comment from Royal Mail but got no response.