THE future of Donnington Post Office has been given a boost after ‘positive’ discussions between local councillors and Post Office officials.

The Iffley Road branch, used by thousands of residents in Iffley Fields, Iffley Road and also residents in Boundary Brook and beyond Donnington Bridge was temporarily closed earlier this month, when the newsagents it is part of, changed hands.

A petition signed by more than 1,200 people was handed over to Post Office’s regional executive Laura Tarling on Thursday night before discussions were held.

Green county councillor for the area, David Williams, said: “I was very pessimistic that we would lose a local Post Office but the meeting with officials suggested there is hope.

“It seems Post Office are responding with genuine efforts to recruit a new postmaster or mistress and looking at new locations.”

The new proprietor of Globe News Market, Mohammed Karis, told the Oxford Mail his application to run the post office was rejected.

A job advert for the role, which could stay open until February 2018, was then posted online, leading to fears the post office may be shut for the long term.

Mr Williams said the petition showed how important the service was to people in the area.

He said: “The petition, collected in just a few days, online and with signed sheets, shows the strength of feeling in the local community that the spate of sub post office closures must end and local needs must be catered for.

“The alternative of waiting in a massive queue in St Aldate’s is really totally unacceptable, especially for the elderly.”

Post Office spokeswoman Sheila Tapster said it would remain closed until a ‘suitable applicant with suitable premises’ was found.