Newsagents filling post office void

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A NEWSAGENTS is helping people avoid the queues at Gloucester's main post office by collecting letters, parcels and selling stamps.

The Keelings, on Lower Westgate Street, has branched out on the new venture in order to help the local community and fill the void left by closing post offices.

Every weekday at 3.30pm a postman visits Neil Williams' shop to pick up his collection of parcels and mail.

He said: "We're doing it mainly to save the elderly people having to walk into town. I don't make any profit from it, we just feel it is important to help people in the local area.

"All they have to do now is come on over to us and buy their stamps and post their parcels."

Pam Tracey, (Con; Westgate) is delighted with the new service.

She said: "The queues at the post office in the centre of town are unbelievable. For those people who just want to post things, this is ideal."

Customers can weigh their post on the scales at the shop.

There is also a Payzone where gas and electric credits can be topped up as well as mobile phone credit.

The Keelings has operated as a post office in the past. It has been in the Keeling family for 96 years, and Mr Williams' partner Glenis Behan is a member of the Keeling family.

The couple have owned the shop since February 2008, and this new scheme has been in operation for just over a month.

"It's really started to pick up," said Mr Williams.

"I want to get a Paypoint in here too so people can come and pay their bills. We want to be a proper convenience store in every sense of the word.

"There's no way I can compete with the prices of Tesco, but if we can make it easier for people to go about their daily duties, then great."

Gloucester City councillor, Pam Tracey (Con Westgate), says the shop is now a valuable asset to the local community.

She said: "We are so lucky to still have an old English shop like that one.

"The queues are horrendous at the city centre post office so for people just wanting to post parcels, this one is ideal.

"It keeps the shop in business too, because people who come in to post something might buy something as well.

"It is a really great achievement, and it's great for the local people."

The Post Office Ltd was unavailable for comment.