A MAIN post office in Chester-le-Street is to get an upgrade that will see it opening for longer each day.

The revamp for the shop in Carlingford Road, on the Garden Farm Estate, is part of a national modernisation programme by the Post Office.

It will close at 5.30pm on Thursday, October 2 , for refurbishment work and will re-open at 1pm on Monday, October 13,

It will have three counters at which customers will be able to access Post Office products and services and buy other products. .

All Post Office and mail services, including international parcels, special delivery, local collect, home shopping returns and an additional car tax service will be provided.

Online banking cash deposits and withdrawals and bill payments for most banks will be available at the new-look facility.

These services will be provided from 7am to 7pm Mondays to Fridays and between 8am and 7pm on Saturdays and Sundays. The upgraded business will open 34 hours more per week than at present.

Anne Clark, Post Office area manager, said: “We know how important Post Office services are to residents in Chester-le-Street and we are confident that this vibrant modern Post Office, at the heart of the community, will be popular.

“The modernisation is part of a major Government investment programme that is enabling us to continue investing in the Post Office network and to map out a bold growth strategy through to the end of the decade.”

During the closure, customers will be able to access postal facilities at Chester-le-Street’s main post office in Front Street and at the branch in Pelton Fell.