The postmaster at an endangered post office has quit following questions over the branch’s future.

The Post Office wants its branches to become more “commercially sustainable” by being part of a retail business.

This would mean branches would have to sell goods alongside providing normal post office services, such as posting letters and doing car tax.

Subpostmaster Krishna Hirani and her husband Chetan had hoped to keep the branch in Sible Hedingham running as it is and not being incorporated into another shop, such as the Co-Op.

They collected more than four pages of signatures on a petition in support of this.

However, the couple has now decided to move on.

Mrs Hirani said: “There are already four other shops in the village selling similar items to what we would sell.

“We spoke to some customers and they said they did not need another shop.

“We decided not to put together a business plan and have resigned."