A Suffolk village is coming together to help save their post office, which is being threatened with closure.

With the postmistress set to retire, residents of Hoxne, near Eye, have set up a campaign group to ensure their Shop and Post Office stays open.

The group is currently collecting surveys from residents to see what they want done with the space.

They are planning to apply for support from the Community Ownership Fund, part of the government's Levelling Up programme.

Leader of the campaign group, Mike Barton, moved to the village in 2018, and says it is a vital service to help connect people after the pandemic.

East Anglian Daily Times:

Mr Barton said: "People can collect prescriptions, organise foodbanks, and find out about what's going on in the village, and things that don't happen anywhere else.

"It's a place to bump into your neighbours, an excuse to get out to see people.

"We would like to buy it ourselves. If we want to apply for funding from the government, we need to prove that the community is behind it, and find out what they want.

"We have had well over 100 responses to the surveys in two days. They close on April 23, then we will know what people want. We then write a plan and submit it for the government's Community Ownership Fund.

"It's an important service. The post office in Eye closed a few months ago."

If anyone is interested in getting involved, you can email hoxnevolunteer@gmail.com

A Mid Suffolk District Council spokesperson said: “As Hoxne Parish Council has listed Hoxne Shop and Post Office as an asset of community value, local community groups can bid for the site before a sale can be concluded on the open market.

"There is currently a period for any community bids to be considered by the owner, before potentially moving to bids on the open market from July 14, 2023 until July 13, 2024.”