THE shock closure of a rural post office over ‘Horizon software issues’ has been branded a ‘major blow’ to a village, with bosses revealing their ‘concern’ as a probe continues.
Peopleton Parish Council has described the closure as “a major blow to our village and community,” after the Peopleton Post Office in Worcestershire shut suddenly on August 3 following the discovery of ‘anomalies’ with the Horizon system.
Some residents have also expressed concern about the impact on footfall and trade at the village shop, The Pantry, where the post office is based.
LETTER: The Horizon letter on the door of Peopleton Post Office (Image: Newsquest)
A spokesperson for Peopleton Parish Council said: “The temporary closure of our Post Office is a major blow to our village and community. We truly look forward to it’s reopening as quickly as possible.”
We have approached Droitwich and Evesham MP Nigel Huddleston and the National Federation of SubPostmasters for comment but neither had responded by the time we went to press.
We have also approached the committee, which is understood to have left the notice in the shop window, for further details but they have nothing further to add at this stage.
A Post Office spokesperson said: “Peopleton Post Office is temporarily closed for operational reasons. We are concerned to see the message posted on their window. We are working with the operator to understand more about what may have happened.”
The closure relates to issues with the Horizon IT system, which led to one of the UK’s most serious miscarriages of justice. More than 900 sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted between 1999 and 2015 due to faults in the Fujitsu-built software, which recorded false financial shortfalls.
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In Peopleton, a letter posted on the branch’s door explained the situation to the public.
The note read: “Dear Villagers, You will have noticed the Post Office was closed last week (3/8/2026) due to Horizon issues.
“The Committee has instigated an investigation into the Horizon anomalies, working with the Post Office to resolve these issues.
“The Post Office advises this could take several weeks and therefore we regretfully advise the Post Office will be closed during this investigation.”
While the post office is closed, the adjoining shop, the Pantry, remains open.
Locals have voiced concern that the closure will hit the most vulnerable residents the hardest.
One villager, who asked not to be named, said: “It’s ideal for elderly people in the village and people rely on it, particularly those who don’t have transport and who live on their own.”
Another resident, who lives next to the post office, said: “The whole community has been impacted but there’s not a lot we can do about it.”
