Villagers have been banking on us to deliver a post office

Newsagent Gail uses £5,000 prize to bring financial lifeline back to village

- By Charlie Bradley

A LOTTERY retailer who won a £5,000 prize for community work has used the money to bring back banking services to her village.

Gail Watling, 61, was determined to return the vital lifeline to her community.

Residents in Horning, Norfolk, were dismayed when their post office shut down in May last year, leaving them with no access to cash.

But Gail, whose family have run Tidings Newsagent in the village for 36 years, has saved the day.

She runs the business with her father Ralph Morris, 83, and her husband Ian Watling, 61.

Volunteers

She said: "The villagers were distraught when the post office closed. There are many retired people in the village but also young families and it meant no one could withdraw or deposit cash, send or pick up parcels and so on.

"We were asked so many times by our customers.

"We approached the Post Office, who were going to charge us £20,000 to instal all their kit.