Harborough postmaster says '˜I have resigned'

Mr Vipal Pabari, the postmaster at the Connaught Road branch in Market Harborough, resigned because Post Office bosses were looking to demote his branch from “main” to “local”.

Mr Pabari said the downgrade would not only affect his customers, but also destroy the post office branch as a business.

“It’s a conditional resignation, which leaves the branch in my hands for the foreseeable future,” Mr Pabari explained.

“I didn’t want to do it, but it seemed to be the only way forward.”

Ironically, Mr Pabari’s resignation is a bold bid to keep all the current services at the Connaught Road post office.

His resignation means that Post Office bosses must now look for someone else to run the post office services in a new location in the eastern part of Market Harborough.

In the meantime, the Connaught Road post office will still operate as usual.

The Mail understands that if a new postmaster can not be found, the status quo will be maintained, meaning the area’s post office will go back to being a “main” branch situated in Connaught Road and still run by Mr Pabari.

Mr Pabari said he had no intention of moving, and in fact was looking to expand his store in the near future.

A petition to stop the post office’s downgrade received more than 1,100 signatures from local people.

Two local councillors, Phil Knowles and Dr Sarah Hill, helped launch the petition.

District councillor Phil Knowles said Mr Pabari provided a “wonderful service”.

He added: “With Harborough expanding, the Post Office authorities should be looking to protect and in the long term increase the services they provide to the town.”