David Ruffley MP has thrown his weight behind the campaign to re-open Haughley Post Office.

There is very strong support in the village of Haughley for the post office to be re-opened. The post office closed in September 2007 when postmistress Maureen Edwards retired.

A local businessman, Kieron Palmer of Palmers (Haughley) Ltd, which runs the local Palmers Baker, has offered a building at a peppercorn rent to relocate and re-open the post office in the village. But funding will be required to refurbish the building and install the high level of security required by Post Office Ltd.

David Ruffley has, therefore, written to Adam Crozier, Chief Executive of the Royal Mail Group (of which Post Office Ltd is part) to find out what grants are available across the whole of government to assist Haughley to re-open their post office.

David said: 'I wholeheartedly support the campaign in Haughley to re-open the village post office. Rural post offices are the lifeblood of villages and I want to do everything in my power to get it re-opened.

I am delighted that Palmers have offered premises at a peppercorn rent. It is an excellent start. Now we need to find sources of funding to work up a viable proposal.

The future of Haughley Post Office is dependent on the Network Change programme which will be carried out by Post Office Ltd in West Suffolk in 2008. But we want to work up a proposal now so that the village can proceed quickly if the future of the post office is confirmed in the forthcoming review.'