9:00am Wednesday 7th January 2009
By Dan Goater
SHOCKED customers were turned away from post offices in Weymouth and Dorchester after the franchisee operating them went into administration.
Post Office branches in St Thomas Street, Weymouth and Trinity Street, Dorchester, were closed after Counter Management Ltd called in the administrators.
Staff shut the doors and pinned up notices directing customers to sub-post offices elsewhere in town.
Groups of angry people were left outside the post offices after the sudden closures.
Notices on the doors of the Weymouth branch directed customers to other post offices at Dorchester Road, Abbotsbury Road and Chickerell and Littlemooor.
Administrator Mike Fortune from insolvency firm Portland Business and Financial Solutions said: “We closed for several hours effectively in order to cash up the post office counters and to take care of some other business.”
He added: “These branches cannot be closed and no-one wants to see them closed.
“We’re all working to keep them open and, as far as I’m concerned, they will be open again and I apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.”
Mr Fortune said jobs might eventually be lost in post office shops but that the majority of jobs would be safe.
Administrators arrived at the Weymouth branch yesterday, prompting staff to start turning away customers before locking the doors.
Customers were forced to make the journey to sub post offices to send parcels, pick up pensions and cash benefit cheques.
James Smith, who sells goods via website eBay, arrived at the Weymouth branch with three parcels and no means of sending them.
He said: “It was annoying because I come into town, parked up, paid my money and found that the post office was closed.”
Pensioners attempting to collect their pensions and winter fuel allowances were among those turned away.
Former Weymouth and Portland mayor Jess Nagel said she was ‘disgusted’ by the shock closure.
She added: “Old age pensioners should not have to trundle all the way to the post office in the cold only to be told that the post office is closed.
“I think it’s disgusting that they haven’t had any warning.”
Another disgruntled customer Cath Knibbs added: “I came to post a parcel.
“This is absolutely outrageous.
“This post office is a part of Weymouth.”
Weymouth and Portland Borough councillor Mike Goodman said that the closure had been ‘devastating’ for the people of Weymouth and the council was demanding the office were re-opened.
The doors of the Dorchester branch were locked yesterday afternoon and a sign put up saying the closure was due to ‘technical problems’.
Another sign on the door told customers to use the nearby post office in Victoria Park and that the Trinity Street branch would be open again today.
Post Office spokesman Tom Prendergast said: “I can confirm that the branches at Weymouth and Dorchester closed temporarily yesterday afternoon due to circumstances beyond our control.
“We are taking steps to reopen the branches as soon as possible and anticipate this happening today.
“In the meantime we would like to apologise to customers for any inconvenience.”
South Dorset MP Jim Knight said: “Local people are understandably concerned about the closures.”
No one from Counters Management Ltd was available for comment other than to confirm that the company has now gone into administration.
Mr Fortune said the short-term closures were necessary to balance the books but he hoped that the branches would re-open today.
Customer reactions
Ben Geyser found he couldn’t get hold of the cash he needed because of the closure.
He said: “I have a post office account and I was going to get some money out.
“I'll have to go to the Littlemoor branch instead.”
Pensioner Marion Lawry, of Weymouth, added: “I walked past this morning and everything seemed normal. I was shocked to see the office shut. Everyone needs their post office.”
David Johnson said: “It was terrible because it’s a massive post office.
“I was overwhelmed by it.
“It has affected everyone. Not only pensioners but people who need to pay in money and people who have urgent things to post.”
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