Residents at the Deanland Wood Park, together with people from the neighbouring villagers in Chalvington, Ripe and Chiddlingly, supported a bid by Deanland Stores, Deanland Wood Park, near Ripe, to open a post office.

Gillian Smith, proprietor, told the Express: 'The post office at the garage at Golden Cross closed in January this year and it was suggested to us that we should apply.

'The residents of Deanland were very supportive in our application and lots of people wrote to the post office and signed a petition.

'Since we opened we've already had a very good response and it's saving a lot of people the journey into Hailsham.'
MP Norman Baker said: 'It's great news.

'I'm one of the luckiest MPs in the country to actually open a post office when they're closing all over the place.

'It's obviously a much-needed facility and there was a lot of unhappy people when the branch in Golden Cross closed and we said if the we are going to lose a post office we should get one back.

'And fortunately this was a rare occasion when the Post Office actually listened.'