A post office in Huddersfield which was the scene of a terrifying armed robbery is being relocated to new premises nearby.
A Post Office ‘local’ service will be run at Premier Essentials, 63 Commercial Road, Skelmanthorpe, with longer opening hours than at the current base.
An open-plan counter position will be integrated into the retail counter, instead of from a separate screened counter, and the new branch will be designed to ensure easy access with space for wheelchair users. There will also be a hearing loop at the counter.
A wide range of Post Office services will be available during the store’s opening hours, from 6am to 9pm seven days a week.
The date for the relocation has yet to be confirmed. Posters will be put inside the present site at 8 Commercial Road to advise customers of when the move will happen.
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Suzanne Richardson, regional manager, said: “We are making it easier for customers to get their cash, send and collect their mail and do their banking because we know how important these services are to local residents.
“We are confident this vibrant new-style Post Office at the heart of the local community will meet customer needs. This modernisation is part of a major investment programme, the largest in the history of the Post Office.”
Skelmanthorpe Post Office was the scene of a robbery three years ago when men wearing balaclavas and carrying an imitation firearm confronted the postmistress before fleeing with cash. A three-year-old girl was ordered to lie on the floor with her mother and grandmother while the robbers waited four minutes for the timelock on the safe to be opened.
Two men, including former Bradford City footballer Lewis Emanuel, who was a getaway driver, were jailed for eight years for their parts in the robbery.
