THE plight of West Somerset’s struggling rural post offices was highlighted this week after two offices have been forced to close on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons to reduce costs.

“For the past few years we have been subsidising the costs incurred in providing post office services from our retail side but this has become untenable,” said Mark Richards-Littlefield, who, with his wife Emily, runs the busy Watchet and Alcombe post offices.

“This is not an isolated situation. I have spoken to many other postmasters who are experiencing the same difficulties. Some have reduced hours or cut staff. Some have been forced to close and all are struggling.

“Numerous appeals have been to Post Office Ltd to alleviate the situation but this seems to fall on deaf ears. We are now closing a couple of afternoons a week because sub-post offices are not remunerated enough.”

This week council and business leaders warned that further West Somerset post offices could be in danger of shutting up shop unless the system was drastically overhauled.

Local MP Ian Liddell-Granger said: “It is completely unacceptable that an essential state-run service can only be provided through being subsidised by other commercial activities.”

This was confirmed by Clark Short, who runs Porlock’s sub-post office seven days a week from his Exmoor Rambler specialist outdoor activities shop. “The shop is our main business,” he said. “But most local sub-post office franchises wouldn’t survive without a retail side.”

A Post Office spokesperson told the Free Press: “The postmaster for Watchet and Alcombe has decided, due to economic pressures, to close the post offices and shops and both branches on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons to save on overheads.

“We’d ask customers who usually visit the branches on these afternoons to try to do so in the mornings if possible. Customers can also visit www.postoffice.co.uk?branchfinder to see which alternative branches are available.”

Mark Richards-Littlefield said the vast majority of customers had understood the reasons for the closure, “particularly when we explain that it is in attempt to ensure continued provision of post office services in Watchet and Alcombe.”

Dozens of customers have taken to social media to show support for the move.

Read more about this story in this week's West Somerset Free Press. Do you value your local shops? Have your say in the comments below, or email your views to [email protected]