A new Co-op store has opened in Whitstable complete with a long-awaited permanent post office counter.

The store in Cromwell Road opened its doors today on the site of the former Royal Mail sorting office.

Its post office service will be operating for twice as long during the day than the previous facility, which was run from St Peter’s Church in Sydenham Street.

Customers had frequently complained of long queues and early closures at the temporary site.

Suzanne Richardson, the Co-op's regional network manager, said: “The longer term plan has always been to open a post office in a permanent location in central Whitstable and we are delighted that this will soon happen.”

At the opening this afternoon, the Friends of Westmeads, a charity dedicated to supporting the local school with the same name, received a donation of £1,000 from the Co-op.

This was part of the chain’s Love Your Neighbourhood Scheme.