A POST office on an Oxford estate has closed following the resignation of the sub-postmaster.

The temporary closure has left so many elderly residents facing a longer journey to collect their pensions that a special community bus service is now being organised.

The branch, in Underhill Circus, Barton, shut on Friday, February 18.

Ward city councillor Van Coulter said he had been contacted by a number of concerned residents struggling to get to the next nearest post office branch.

He said: “It is causing inconvenience to people who are quite vulnerable.”

He said a plan was being drawn up to use the Barton community minibus to shuttle older residents to the post office in Risinghurst to collect their pension.

“This is aimed at those people who cannot use the bus,” he added.

A spokesman for Post Office Ltd said: “We would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience.

“We are committed to maintaining post office services in the Underhill Circus area and we will be working within the local community towards this. In the meantime, customers can still access our services at alternative branches in the area including Headington and Risinghurst.”

For more information about the community shuttle to Risinghurst, call Sue Holden on 07866 460446.