IT’S supposed to be a valuable part of the community but Innerleithen townsfolk do not feel that way about their post office.

Since the facility moved into a grocery store three months ago it has just not been the same, according to members of the town’s community council.

Complaints include unhelpful staff and a failure to separate the post office section from the rest of the shop.

Innerleithen Community Council member Neil Andrew said: “The attitude of the staff is stopping a lot of people going.

“You are getting people saying they are never off the phone when you try to speak to them “I’ve been in there buying a paper and you can see elderly being handed money. If I was a thug, I could easily follow that person out of the shop and steal the money from them.

“At the moment people prefer to go elsewhere for post office services - to Peebles, Walkerburn or somewhere else.

“It worries that it might have to close - that would be an absolute disaster for the town.” The post office was moved along the High Street and located inside The Village Store as part of a streamlining of the service across the country.

The community council chairman Paul Faris said: “It’s not the same attentive service that we used to get. I know there were training issues to begin with but we have monitored the situation and it does seem to have improved.”