Villagers who recently saw cuts made to their bus service are now losing their post office too.

The Post Office at River, near Dover, will shut this month following “a particularly challenging period” including rising costs.

It is based in River Pharmacy, which will remain open and has recently been taken over by new owners.

The Post Office will stop trading on Thursday, October 12 after the resignation of the former postmaster and the withdrawal of the premises for Post Office use.

A spokesman for Post Office said: “We are facing a particularly challenging period, as are other high street retailers.

“The impact of rising costs, inflation and restrictions on our funding from Government means that while we will always look to reopen branches when they close, we cannot commit to doing so in every instance.

“We are committed to maintaining our access criteria so that 99% of the UK’s population are within three miles of a Post Office and 90% are within one mile.

“We apologise to our customers for any inconvenience caused by the closure of River Post Office.”

It is understood the new owners of the pharmacy had raised interest with keeping the Post Office open, but the premises for Post Office use was still withdrawn.

The nearest stores are Crabble Post Office, in Buckland Avenue, 1.2 miles away, and the branches at Whitfield, in Bewsbury Cross Lane, and Buckland, in London Road, which are 1.6 miles away.

But a villager and former councillor has raised concerns, as there is no longer a direct bus service to the nearest alternative at Crabble.

Sue Nicholas, a former district and parish councillor for the village, told KentOnline: “There are a lot of elderly people in River, many do not have a car.

“Yet there is no bus from River that will take you straight to the nearest alternative, Crabble Post Office.

“We don’t even have a post office next to us any more at Temple Ewell.”

Mrs Nicholas, 85, had last year complained of cuts to bus services in River.

She said that would contribute to cutting off pensioners in the village with no car.

About a fifth of the village’s approximate 5,000 population are in their 80s or 90s, she said.

Last month, the Post Office in in Longport, Canterbury, also closed.

The shop, which could be turned into homes, is closing following the owner’s decision to retire.