Derbyshire post office saved from closure

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The future of a Derbyshire post office is secure after an anonymous buyer and villagers stepped in to save it.

The Cromford Post Office was due to close because no one was prepared to buy it.

But owner Trevor Smedley said he has had an offer from the buyer and a back-up offer from village residents.

The villagers have raised £150,000 in pledges over two weeks in a bid to ensure it stays open, local resident Carol Eastern said.

Mr Smedley said: "This is brilliant news for me and for the village. The community spirit has knocked me for six."

Ms Eastern said it clearly showed "how important" the post office is to residents.

"We raised the money in paper pledges," she said. "We have put those pledges on hold in case the buyer didn't complete the deal," she said.

"We started raising money about two weeks ago … but the owner has been trying to sell it for more than than three years."

Mr Smedley said the deal for the post office should be completed by the end of February.

About 2,500 post office branches were closed in the UK during an 18-month period from October 2007.