A MUCH-NEEDED Ilkley sub-post office, which closed two weeks ago, is to be replaced, Royal Mail said this week.

Pensioners living close to the Leeds Road sub-post office were devastated when it shut its doors for the last time because a new postmaster could not be found.

Since then elderly residents have had to get used to lengthy treks into town to pay bills or collect their pension.

But Royal Mail says it has now found someone to run the post office and a new location is being sought.

"We have had one interested applicant come forward," said a spokesman. "And we are confident of returning the service to the area at a different location." William Redman, 81, of Dean Street, said he hoped the new post office would be located as near as possible to the old one.

"It all depends whereabouts it is," he said. "We are managing to get to the one at Station Plaza at the moment. But if they get one near here, fair enough. People round here will be pleased." Residents have also complained that the large post box which used to stand outside the post office has been replaced by one which is too small.

Royal Mail said it was asked to remove the original post box by the new owner of the post office building. The spokesman said: "We have done that and replaced it with a temporary box. This box will remain in place until we can identify new premises for the post office and we will then site a large box outside of that."

The former Leeds Road sub-postmaster was jailed for nine months at the end of March after he pleaded guilty to stealing £17,971.71 from the Post Office.