Last updated at 12:11, Friday, 12 October 2012

Seaton Post Office has started opening from 5am to 11pm.

It is the first in Cumbria to be open 18 hours a day, seven days a week, in a move by the Post Office to make its services more accessible.

The branch is in the One Stop, the convenience store chain owned by Tesco, on Main Road.

The post office was previously open from 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm on Saturdays and closed on Sundays.

The change is part of the Post Office’s three-year investment programme to introduce modern open-plan facilities.

The Seaton branch has also had a revamp as part of the investment plan.

Celia Tibble, a member of Seaton Parish Council and an Allerdale councillor, said: “Seaton is one of the largest villages in the county.

“We have a large number of elderly people and families with young children living in the village.

“Making these facilities available to them as early and late as this will be a massive benefit for them.

“We also have a lot of passing trade coming into the village who use other businesses so we hope that these people will also take advantage of the extended hours.”

Trevor Fee, chairman of Seaton Parish Council, said: “I think it’s marvellous to have a post office in the village and it always looks busy. We always use it as a family.

“The extended hours will definitely benefit the shift workers getting up early in the morning and coming home late at night.

“I think it’s a great thing for the village.”

A Post Office spokesman said: “Seaton Post Office has been modernised as part of a three-year investment programme to introduce Post Office branches designed to increase customer convenience through longer opening hours, and a simplified face-to-face service.

“You can carry out all the Post Office services offered at Seaton during the shop opening hours, from postage to postal orders.”

Ellenborough Post Office, on Main Street, has also extended its hours from 6am to 8pm.

Tesco was unavailable to comment on the changes.

First published at 11:56, Friday, 12 October 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk