A community has received official confirmation that it has won its battle to stop a post office branch from being moved away.

Controversy was sparked last year when Malcolm Wright, sub-postmaster of the Vauxhall Street branch in Norwich, said he did not want to continue running it.

Post Office Ltd had favoured an application from Hurn Chemist to move the branch to Unthank Road, rather than to the Vauxhall Street Pharmacy, two doors down.

Hundreds of people signed a petition against the move, which many said would make it harder for less-mobile people to use the service.

Post Office Ltd said earlier this year that it had changed its mind and instead proposed to move the branch to Vauxhall Street Pharmacy.

And bosses have now confirmed the new branch at Vauxhall Street Pharmacy will open on Tuesday, August 5 - one day after the current Vauxhall Street branch shuts its doors for the final time.

Post Office Ltd bosses say the new branch will have longer opening hours and customers will also be able to sort out their car tax at the new branch.

Norwich South MP Simon Wright said: 'I'm so pleased that this matter has been resolved after years of uncertainty. It will come as a huge relief to the community, many of who have disabilities or mobility difficulties and would have struggled to get to a branch further away.

'I've been campaigning alongside the local community for Vauxhall Street to keep a post office since 2008 when it was identified for closure under the previous government's network closure programme.

'We were successful then and we've been successful now under different circumstances.

'The current postmaster wants to move on after several years of dedicated service to the community, so it's brilliant that another business has stepped in to continue to provide a service along the parade of shops.'

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