Post office woman is sacked

A sub-postmistress who was suspended from a Shropshire post office three months ago pending an internal audit has had her contract terminated, Royal Mail managers confirmed today.

Cleobury North Post Office closed on November 15 and will remain closed until an interim replacement is found.

Royal Mail has refused to name the sub-postmistress but she was named locally as as Tina Doughty. It has also refused to say what the outcome of its internal audit carried out over the Christmas period was or why she was suspended.

Managers today said they wanted to reopen the post office and would be advertising the vacancy soon. They apologised for the ongoing inconvenience to customers.

A spokesman said today: "The contract between the sub-postmistress and Post Office Ltd has since been terminated.

"We are looking for an interim sub-postmaster to operate the branch from the present site and will be advertising the vacancy shortly to try and secure a more long term future for the branch.

"We would like to apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused and are doing everything possible to restore services."

The closure has left many elderly people with nowhere to pick up their pensions. Alternative branches are in Ditton Priors, Bridgnorth and Ludlow.