PUB landlord Mike Williams has come to the rescue of a village Post Office and is planning on opening seven days a week from early until late to make it a success.

Mr Williams, who runs the Bell Inn at Great Cheverell, near Devizes, will be up early to organise papers and capture passing trade when he takes over the shop from April 1.

It will move just a few yards along the High Street from the home of Stevie and Gary Stamp to a room at the pub.

The Stamps, who moved to Wiltshire from Surbiton, Surrey in 2007 will be staying in the village but are sad that their time running the business is coming to an end.

Mr Stamp said: "It is very sad and we are disappointed. It is very hard running a business like this these days. But we are very glad that Mike is taking it over and the village will continue to have a shop and Post Office. It is only moving a few yards.

"We live above the shop and will be staying here. We are not exactly sure what we will be doing yet but we are not moving away."

Mr Williams, who has been landlord at the pub for two years, hopes the new businesses will be a good fit with what he already does.

He said: "It will be very busy as I also have three children to look after. But I will have to be up early for the papers so I think I might as well open at 7.30am to sell coffee and other bits and get some passing trade. I will be open seven days a week and I will be taking on two extra members of staff who are both from the village.

"I have become part of the community in Great Cheverell. We organised a lot of events for Remembrance last year and are also part of the Soapbox Derby."

The decision by Mr Williams to take over the shop has been welcomed by Great Cheverell Parish Council. It was worried the village would lose the Post Office and had applied to make it a community asset.

Parish council chairman Andrew Alexander said: "It is very good news. A lot of villages have lost their shops, Post Offices and pubs. But this way we get to keep them all."