South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth and Annandale South Councillor Sean Marshall have expressed their anger over the failure of the Post Office to notify local residents of the axing of the outreach Post Office service in Eastriggs.

The service was stopped on 3 August. However, the Post Office have only publicised the news today- 15 August- following enquiries over why there had been no service in recent weeks.

An outreach service on a Tuesday between 2.15 pm- 4.15 pm and a Friday from 11.15 am to 1.15 pm was put in place when the Spar shop in Eastriggs closed its Post Office in September 2021. However, the outreach service has now been scrapped following the news that the postmaster from Scotby Post Office in Carlisle is no longer able to operate the temporary service which was located at the layby outside Eastriggs Primary School.

South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth said, “Having fought so hard to get an outreach service when the Spar on Melbourne Avenue axed the Post Office from their shop, it’s really disappointing to see it has now been lost. It is shocking that the Post Office didn’t even bother to notify residents of the loss of service and kept the news a secret, never mind put in place an alternative.

“Options for a permanent Post Office in Eastriggs are limited because there really isn’t any other shop locally interested in taking on a Post Office. That’s why we pushed for an outreach service and although it was only a couple of days a week, it was vital for those who can’t easily travel to Annan or Carlisle.

“We will be pressing the Post Office to urgently contact other Postmasters in the area to determine if someone else can come in to provide a local service. This is yet another blow to the provision of Post Offices locally and the way it has been handed by the Post Office shows they are really just managing the decline of the service in our region not trying to sustain it”.

Annandale South Councillor Sean Marshall said, “I think it is shocking that the Post Office have taken the decision to withdraw the vital mobile post office service in Eastriggs that was vital to a growing community of over 2000 people.

“To add insult to injury, the Post Office withdrew the service at beginning of August, but didn’t inform anyone until mid-August so we had pensioners turning up to use the service but the van wasn’t there.

“I am urging Post Office to reinstate a mobile service in Eastriggs which was well used and provided a vital service, particularly to the elderly and people with businesses.”