The future of a Shrewsbury post office branch was hanging in the balance today after it emerged nobody wants to run it.

There are just weeks to go until an advertisement ends for a sub-postmaster to run Castlefields Post Office, which closed seven months ago, with Post Office bosses expected to review the situation during the summer.

But they today said they had so far been unsuccessful in finding a solution for the branch.

And Councillor Alan Mosley, Shropshire Council member for Castlefields and Ditherington, said nobody had shown any interest in the sub-postmaster job which could save the vital service from permanently closing down.

The branch closed on September 4, when its interim sub-postmaster decided he could not continue with the business.

Residents, particularly elderly and vulnerable people, have spoken out about how difficult their life has been made by the closure.

Post Office bosses said today they were still hopeful of finding a solution and it is understood no decision is likely to be made until after the advertisement ends in July.

Councillor Mosley called on them to consider installing an outreach service, similar to ones in rural areas, if no interest is shown in a full branch reopening.

He said: “Unfortunately they haven’t received any interest in it so far from anyone wanting to become a sub-postmaster in the Castlefields area. It’s a state of the economy.

“It will still be advertised until July and then they will have to reconsider where to go from there.

“I’m pressing them that if there isn’t any interest in taking on the post office as it is that they look urgently at alternative means of providing services, perhaps in other premises on a part-time basis.

“This could be a similar arrangement to what some of the rural post offices have with outreach services.”

A spokeswoman for the Post Office said: “We are committed to restoring a Post Office service in the area.

“Unfortunately so far we have been unsuccessful but we continue to search for a solution.”

By John Kirk