BUSINESSES are being urged to provide a Post Office service in an area of York left without one since the end of last year.

Cllr Danny Myers has been pushing for a replacement following the closure of the Crichton Avenue branch last December.

Postmistress Wendy Martin closed down the shop after suffering from stress brought on by problems with the controversial Horizon payment system.

The closure meant Clifton lost its last remaining branch, but Mrs Martin revealed how faults in the system’s connection were stopping payments from going through and she would have to cover the shortfall - often hundreds of pounds - with her own money.

Mrs Martin temporarily closed the shop and demanded the Post Office fix the system in 2015, then re-opened when the situation seemed to be returning to normal.

However, the issue was never fully sorted and the branch closed.

Cllr Myers believes businesses could accommodate a Post Office counter within an existing business.

As well as collecting signatures on a petition for a new branch post office, Cllr Myers has written to the Post Office to ask that it focuses on re-opening a branch, to restore services for Clifton residents as soon as possible.

He said: “I’ve spoken with local businesses to make them aware that Post Office Ltd is looking for a new postmaster and applications can now be submitted.

“As Clifton ward councillors we will continue to push for a solution to the problem of no Post Office branch in the ward as it is affecting a great number of people.”

Clifton’s Labour councillors are encouraging people to sign a petition which asks the council to work with Post Office Ltd to secure a new post office branch.

The online and paper petition has already attracted several hundred signatures, indicating the strength of feeling in the community.

To sign the petition go to: https://www.change.org/p/post-office-ltd-save-our-local-services-clifton-post-office