VILLAGERS could soon be enjoying a pint when they send off their post or collect their pension.

The parish council at Husthwaite, between Thirsk and Easingwold, is consulting locals over the possibility of opening a new sub-post office.

And the venue options include the recently-re-opened village pub, The Roasted Pepper, on two days a week.

Landlord Robin Jacques said: "Nothing has been decided yet, this is just a possibility and we are waiting to see if the ideas are viable.

"We are definitely interested, we are just waiting to see what the job would entail. We only re-opened a few weeks ago and things are going well so far, and, from a business point of view, it could be good to have a post office here."

"I suppose it does seem a bit unusual but I have heard of other pubs having post offices in them before, so why not in Husthwaite?"

District councillor Percy Featherstone said: "I think the village would benefit from it. A post office can be a real focal point for a village, somewhere for people to meet and have a good chat," he said.

"There is a practical side to it too. At the moment, people living in Husthwaite have to go to Easingwold or Thirsk for their pensions and stamps."

A Post Office spokesman said: "We are committed to keeping offices open in rural villages and in recent times we have successfully seen them open in a number of different locations including village halls, people's front rooms and public houses."