A THIRD North Yorkshire village is set to lose its post office - because the sub postmaster says security would not withstand a raid.

Andrew Wright, who looks after Brandsby Post Office and shop with his wife Lindsey, said he was shutting the post office counter this evening for good. His customers will have to travel more than two miles to Stillington for postal services.

He and other postmasters today criticised the Post Office, saying they did not feel the organisation was protecting them properly.

But a spokesman has defended the Post Office, saying security is reviewed where there are raids.

The row follows an incident in which a gang of men armed with a chainsaw broke into Helmsley Post Office, as well as targeting Hovingham and Nawton, which have since shut.

Mr Wright said: "I lived in Brandsby 20 years ago, and I came back nearly two years ago. Lindsey was going to run the post office and shop, but it's a lot of hard work for £48 a week - now I would not do it for £150 a week.

"We have two young children and one on the way, and we have decided we are going to shut it completely."

Advice from the Post Office had been non-existent, said Mr Wright.

"I rang up to say we were thinking of stopping, and they did not give us any support or back up, no security. They have not even been in touch with us this week.

"I am bewildered really, it's disbelief, the Post Office have not even given me a number to ring."

Mr Wright said the Brandsby premises, outside Easingwold, were not secure enough to keep a post office.

"The security system is non-existent, they would just walk in.

"How long until these people want a bit more money and come here?

"That's what worried me - they will kick the door in and get the key."

Michael Lewis, from the York branch of the National Federation of Sub Postmasters, said the Post Office was not supporting sub postmasters.

"They tend to look at things after the event," he said.

"They should be coming round on a regular basis and doing a security check to look at if anything could be done."

Mr Lewis, who runs Huntington Post Office, said he understood why people were resigning.

"It's a combination of your life being threatened and the future of the business.

"There's no possibility of more money being made available, people are probably saying it's just not worth it."

A spokesman for Post Office Ltd said security at Helmsley was being reviewed, but at places which had not been targeted, no security review would take place.

"Brandsby has not had an incident. We don't have excess managers to go and see every single post office," said the spokesman.

"We are very disappointed. This leaves our customers in this part of North Yorkshire struggling to find a post office where they can do their business.

"All this is doing is causing problems for our customers. We are very sorry to those who are going to be inconvenienced by these resignations."

Updated: 11:33 Tuesday, January 21, 2003