residents of Appleton Roebuck are angry at the shock closure of their village post office.

The post office, run by Sandra Massey, is inside the village shop run by her husband Glen, and has been closed for just over a week.

Pensioners and others who rely on it for their benefits have been left out on a limb because of poor transport links to post offices in other villages.

Maureen Thomson, 53, of West End Avenue, Appleton Roebuck, who is wheelchair bound, uses the post office to collect her incapacity benefit.

She said: "The post office closed a week ago and there was absolutely no warning.

"I'm going to incur bank charges because my benefits are going to be paid a day late from another post office and this will mean payments don't go out from my account in time to other places like my mortgage."

She also claimed she had been told two pension books were locked inside the post office and could not be accessed.

Susan Storm, who works for coach company GE Sykes & Son in the village, said: "I've had to go to Tadcaster today just to get some stamps and post a few letters."

And Lesley Hodgson, of Main Street, Appleton Roebuck, who works from home, said: "A lot of people who work from home in this village are going to be inconvenienced."

Mrs Massey did not wish to speak to the Evening Press today and her husband said he did not know when the post office would reopen.

He confirmed his wife did not have access but referred all further enquiries to Post Office Counters.

A spokesman for Post Office Counters said: "Appleton Roebuck post office is currently closed for operational reasons.

"Customers should use post offices at Bishopthorpe, Copmanthorpe and Bolton Percy and we apologise for any inconvenience this may cause."

He added that it was impossible to say at this time when the post office might reopen but revealed the closure was not permanent.

Brian Percival, Selby district councillor for Appleton Roebuck, said the closure was a blow to the village.

He said: "Appleton Roebuck is a working rural village and it still has a very substantial population who work and live there."