ROYAL Mail is no longer collecting letters and packages from Goostrey post office, it has been confirmed.

The decision comes just a month after the village post office moved into new premises inside Goostrey Methodist Church on Main Road.

It means minor changes to the opening hours of the new post office, from Monday, August 5, to allow mail to be taken back to Plumley for collection.

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Postmaster Jonathan Royle, who runs the Goostrey outreach office for Royal Mail and in several other villages, including Chelford, from Plumley Post Office and Stores, has been handing out leaflets to notify customers of the new times.

Mr Royle said: "Unfortunately, we have received confirmation that Royal Mail is ceasing collections from the Goostrey outreach office.

"This means all mail will need to be back at our Plumley office in time for its postal collection at 5.15pm and to enable this we have to close Goostrey promptly at 4.30pm.

"Monday's start time cannot be altered, but on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday we will open half an hour earlier at 2pm."

The village post office had to find a new home following the death of the late owner Margaret Kettle and the sale of the former property.

Margaret and her late husband George served the community for decades.

Their shop was fondly known as an Aladdin’s Cave because it stocked so many diverse items.

The new post office opened on July 1 after building work was completed to convert the vestry at the church.

A Post Office spokesman said: “We are having to adjust the opening hours of Goostrey Post Office due to a change to the way that mail from this outreach location is collected by Royal Mail from the postmaster’s main branch.

“The branch will now need to close 30 minutes earlier.

“However, it will now open 30 minutes earlier three days a week.”

The new opening hours will be Monday 12.30pm to 4.30pm, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 2pm to 4.30pm