A raft of Government measures designed to halt the closure of post offices was today welcomed as a "big help".

But Helmsley sub-postmaster Geoff Simpson questioned whether the announcement by junior trade and industry minister Alan Johnson would be enough to turn around the alarming sub-post office closure rate.

"Anything at this moment in time is welcome," said Mr Simpson, who is also the secretary of the York branch of the Federation of Sub-Postmasters.

"It will certainly be a big help but how far it will actually go, I don't know."

Mr Johnson said a £2 million Government fund would be established to support initiatives by community groups who want to maintain or reopen post offices in areas where closure rates are high.

And he told the Commons that the introductory payment that new sub-postmasters were previously required to pay - equivalent to 25 per cent of their first year's income - will be abolished from April 1.

Meanwhile, striking postal workers today went back to work following negotiations between unions and management at a York depot.

Thousands of city homes had mail deliveries disrupted after the lightning strike at the Birch Park Sorting Office, off Huntington Road, yesterday.

But between 80 and 90 workers returned to work today.

Updated: 11:43 Friday, February 16, 2001