Co-op managers have confirmed their Oxenhope store will provide a welcome new home for post office services.

The village has been without a branch for nearly two years after the post office in Station Road ceased trading in the summer of 2011 after the last postmaster retired.

Speaking on behalf of Oxenhope Parish Council, Councillor Tony Jones said he and his colleagues were delighted to receive the news.

He added: “We think it’s marvellous. We’d done a lot of hard work to persuade the Co-op to take on postal services.”

No date has been released for the launch of the facility, but the Co-op has said it will include mail transactions, home shopping returns, online banking, cash deposits, tax disc registration and withdrawals.

It will offer Government services, such as cashing Green Giros and paying for fishing licences, as well as allowing customers to top up mobile phones, pay bills and pre-order foreign currency.

Oxenhope’s Co-operative Food store manager, Kiran Baines, said: “We know our customers will be thrilled we’ve been able to re-open Post Office services in Oxenhope.

“Having a Post Office Local based within the food store makes it simple and convenient for customers to run all their errands at once.”