A VILLAGE could lose its post office forever because plans for a community-led venture are being blocked, an MP has claimed.

John Howell, who represents the Henley constituency, has demanded Post Office bosses stop their “obstructionist behaviour” over plans to let volunteers run services in Benson, near Wallingford.

Royal Mail, meanwhile, has admitted options for the village could be “limited”.

Benson sub postmistress Cindy Olley, 68, is leaving the role after eight years due to heart problems and will shut the store on Wednesday.

She and husband David, 70, have been unsuccessfully trying to sell the business for eight years. Last month Mr Howell called on people in the village to take on the responsibility of running a Post Office.

Now, in a letter to Post Office managing director David Smith, he said: “Local residents and myself had been hoping that the village would be able to put together a community solution.

“But the Post Office has told local residents it is no longer in favour of community solutions and does not even much like an ‘outreach’ solution where services could be provided from a nearby post office in another village.

“The closure notice invites my constituents to ‘continue to use the post office’ adding that they are ‘free to visit the service most convenient for them’. This is utterly disingenuous since it fails to mention that the service most convenient for them would have been in Benson village if it too was not to be closed.”

He added: “I am demanding that the Post Office removes its obstructionist behaviour to a community-led office.”

The closure comes five months after the closure of the Benson News store and just days after nearby RAF Benson Post Office also closed for an unspecified period.

Villagers are unable to use the RAF post office, though service families were welcome at the village branch.

Post Office spokesman Susan Dakin said: “We have been exploring and continue to explore solutions to both temporary closures.

“No options have been ruled out, although these options are limited by the availability of suitable local operators.”