AN EAST Lancashire post office has closed to prevent customers becoming victims of an armed robbery.

The business, based in the Baxenden Pharmacy on Manchester Road, Accrington, will never reopen amid fears people paying bills, converting currency or withdrawing cash could be targeted by criminals.

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Earlier this month, masked men raided the Rising Bridge Post Office on Blackburn Road wielding machetes and escaped with a ‘substantial amount of cash’.

Last month the postmaster at Rishton Post Office was tied up in a traumatic ordeal that only ended when his sister arrived at the business.

Again a large quantity of cash was stolen.

Linda Bracewell, owner of Baxenden Pharmacy, said: “I have been providing pharmacy services for 20 years in Baxenden and three years ago sadly the post master at the Higher Baxenden Post Office passed away.

“Because it was not viable as a stand-alone business there could have possibly been a loss of a post office in the community.

“The Post Office approached me and asked me to take on the post office within the pharmacy business using the new Post Office Local model.

“We have provided postal services and pharmacy services for the past three years and they have been much appreciated by the community.

“But after the recent attack at Rising Bridge Post Office – which took place during a busy morning when the pharmacy was full of young families and elderly vulnerable people – I couldn’t consider the prospect of that happening in my pharmacy and I have taken the decision to close the post office.”

A notice in the shop window of the Manchester Road business today simply reads: “Due to recent incidents at local post offices this branch is closed.”

A Post Office spokesman said: “The postmistress cited her concerns about the attempted robbery at another branch as the reason for the sudden closure, and we understand that any attempted robbery is very traumatic. “We’re working to restore services to Higher Baxenden in the meantime, customers can access Post Office services at any branch, including Accrington Post Office.”