A post office is moving 500 meters own the road, in order to give its customers a better service.

Banbury Post Office is moving its home on the town's High Street to the WHSmith store in Castle Quay Shopping Centre.

The upgrade is part of a national move which has seen thousands of branches modernised, to keep up with changing public demands.

The move follows fears that it may be closing permanently unless a franchisee could be found to host it.

Victoria Prentis, MP for North Oxfordshire said: "While I know that some of my constituents had expressed concerns about the franchising of the Banbury Post Office, I am really relieved that it has been possible to retain such an important service in the town centre.

"WHSmith is an accessible location; moving the branch to a retail setting will enable the post office to continue serving the community. I would much rather this scenario than Banbury’s post office closing altogether.”

The new location promises an open-plan design with seven days-a-week service, and easy access for those with disabilities. Situated at the ground floor, it will feature ramps, handrails and widened shopping aisles. The Post Office plans to contact local disability groups to notify them of the changes and offer to take them through the new layout.

Roger Gale, the General Manager for the Post Office’s Crown branch network, said: “Our customers’ needs continue to change and we are responding to that, taking the right action to sustain our services for years to come.

“We are committed to remaining on high streets and at the heart of communities. We are making changes right across our network to enable us to do so.

“That means adapting to the needs of our customers, who want flexibility and choice about how and when they do business with us, whether that is face to face or on the web.”

The final day of service at the previous Post Office location will be Wednesday, November 9. The new branch will open at 9am the following day, and will remain open an extra 4.5 hours weekly.

Hours of operation will be from 9am – 5.30pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am – 2.30pm on Sunday.