AN East Lancashire businessman who saved a post office from closure more than six years ago has been arrested as part of an investigation into a suspected £100,000 benefits fraud.

Postmaster Unus Adam, of Darwen's General Post Office in The Circus, was interviewed after detectives and Post Office fraud investigators swooped on the premises yesterday.

Police said a search of the premises resulted in a large quantity of what is believed to be stolen pension and allowance books being seized, while detectives also found tens of thousands of pounds in cash from a Blackburn house.

Police today confirmed that one person had been charged with two offences of theft but no further details were available.

The Post Office, which was to be bulldozed until Mr Adam stepped in to take over in 1994, is now closed.

Det Sgt Chris Hughes, of Darwen CID, said the investigation was being run in conjunction with the Post Office and Benefits Agency and had been ongoing for a number of months.

He went on: "I can confirm a large quantity of stolen pension and allowance books have been recovered as well as a large quantity of money from a house in the Whalley Range area of Blackburn. The post master and his staff are helping us with inquiries." A police spokesman added: "The investigation is into the incorrect cashing of stolen pension, social security and allowance books at the Post Office in the region of £100,000.

"Four people have been arrested in connection with this investigation. "

Customers arriving at the Post Office yesterday found it locked.

A sign on the main door said it would remain closed until further notice and that people should use sub-Post Offices in Hollins Grove, London Terrace or Bolton Road instead.

Post Office spokesman Graham Moore said: "We would like to apologise to all customers for any inconvenience.

"We will be striving to reopen the Post Office as soon as possible."

The main Post Office in Darwen, which is run as an agency by Mr Adam, came under threat of closure in 1993.

But the businessman, thought to live in Blackburn, stepped into take over from Post Office Counters Ltd a year later and has run it alongside his original business, Oswaldtwistle's Moor End sub-Post Office in Union Road, which is open as normal, and is not part of the investigation.