A POST Office branch saved by a town council has opened its doors for the first time.

Frinton and Walton Town Council stepped in to open a branch at the Triangle Shopping Centre, in Rochford Way after Martin’s newsagent decided not to renew its lease on its unit at the centre, which included a post office, last year.

Deputy mayor Terry Allen cut a ribbon to open the branch, based at the council's offices, on Tuesday.

Mr Allen said: "The opening of the new post office is a fantastic boost for the local economy at the Triangle Shopping Centre.

"It preserves an essential local service that is becoming even more important as high street banks close and people turn to the post office for traditional banking services."

The council spent £16,000 to convert a downstairs meeting room into a post office.

Council clerk Jerry Wedge said: " Local people were very dismayed with the prospect of losing this vital community amenity and several petitions were organised to garner support for keeping it open.

"Over a 1000 people signed each of these petitions."

"The town council anticipate that the new post office will bring significant benefits such as the generation of income, preservation of a vital community asset used by many local people, helping to sustain the other shops in the Triangle Shopping Centre, the retention of three part-time jobs and providing access to a local banking service."

The branch will be open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5.30pm and Saturdays from 9am to 2pm - an additional 21 hours per week.

Hayley Brown, the Post Office's network provision lead,er said: “We are delighted to be restoring a permanent Post Office to Frinton as we know how important a Post Office is to a community.”